Roadway cargo traffic from the Vizhinjam International Seaport is scheduled to start in January, marking an important milestone for India’s maritime trade. According to project officials in order to determine whether using the current road network is feasible, trial runs with 40-foot equivalent container trucks carrying dummy freight had started.
These trailers are being tested on a temporary route that uses a service road and vehicle underpass to connect the port site to NH 66. Once the approach road construction is finished, which is scheduled for next month, officials anticipate that roadway traffic will be operational. In order to reach this deadline, construction is moving forward 24/7.
Manufacturers and traders from all around India are very interested in Vizhinjam port, particularly since the shipping behemoth MSC added it to its Jade and Dragon services. Vizhinjam is the only port in India that has this connectivity, allowing direct international trade with Europe and Southeast Asia.
Although starting road freight traffic is an important first step, business communities are worried that road connection could not be enough on its own. To further simplify logistics, they are advocating for the construction of a temporary container rail station at Nemom or Balaramapuram. In response, Southern Railway has been given Rs 206 crore by the state government to build a permanent container yard next to the Balaramapuram railway station. By the first week of January, a final bidder for the port-led industrialization consultant position is anticipated to be chosen. Additionally, the Center has approved in principle the design of a cloverleaf intersection at Thalakode that will link NH 66 and Vizhinjam port. Plans for the container rail terminal will be the main topic of next discussions with the NHAI and the Railways.
At the moment, only transshipment operations are handled by the Vizhinjam port. The state government has assigned VISL the responsibility of creating a draft invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the port’s inauguration, which took place earlier this month.
