MUMBAI, June 29 -- Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday conducted an infrastructure inspection and review tour of Palghar district to gauge the progress of projects such as Vadhavan Port, the proposed offshore airport (the first one in the country), the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, the bullet train and the dedicated freight corridor. The CM said that the Palghar district was "the growth engine of the state". "I have seen the airport site and asked for the Rs.58 crore, six-lane Uttan-Virar sea link to be extended by five kilometres to the proposed offshore airport so that there is direct connectivity from Mumbai," he said. Fadnavis said that by 2050, Mumbai's two airports would reach their peak. "Land acquisition will be done only by taking people into confidence." He also reviewed the progress of the Vadodara-Mumbai section of the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Being developed by the central government at an estimated cost of nearly Rs.1 lakh crore, the approximately 1,400-kilometre expressway will reduce travel time between Delhi and Mumbai. The Vadodara-Mumbai section, which spans approximately 157 kilometres and is being developed at a cost of around Rs.24,000 crore, is mostly ready and expected to be completed by August 2026. Fadnavis said the stretch would be opened to traffic by August 31. It will reduce travel time between Vadodara and Mumbai from nearly eight hours to about four hours, and is also expected to improve freight movement to JNPA by reducing the delays currently caused by traffic congestion. While inspecting the proposed Vadhavan Port project at Chinchani beach, Fadnavis conducted a detailed review of internal road networks, forest clearances, electricity supply, and compensation-related work for fishermen. This Rs.76 crore greenfield port will be constructed over an area of 1,448 hectares and is planned to be completed within the next 60 months. With the capacity to handle advanced "next-generation" vessels, it is expected to become one of India's largest deep-sea ports....