MUMBAI, Aug. 1 -- The Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) has invited bids to appoint a consultant for preparing a detailed techno-economic feasibility study and managing the bid process for the proposed greenfield offshore international airport at Kore in Palghar district. The bids will be opened on September 3. A preliminary feasibility study identified the site near Vadhavan as the most suitable location for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region's third airport. During a review of infrastructure projects along the western corridor on June 28, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the proposed airport would be directly linked to Mumbai through a 4.75-km extension of the Uttan-Virar Sea Link. The airport will also have a connector from Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway (NH 48). The six-lane Uttan-Virar Sea Link, estimated to cost Rs.59 crore, will include four-lane connecting roads and emergency lanes on both sides. Fadnavis said the proposed airport would be India's first offshore airport and would help meet the region's aviation needs after the airports reach capacity by 2050. He added that the state would seek speedy clearances for the project....