The Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) on Friday approved the construction of a Road Over Bridge (ROB) at the Deendayal Port in Kandla, Gujarat.
The new ROB is to be constructed at LC-235 of the port, at an estimated cost of Rs 132.51 crore, which will be funded by the Centre's ambitious Sagarmala Programme.
The proposal for the ROB was recently appraised by the Delegated Investment Board (DIB) in a meeting chaired by the Secretary of the MoPSW.
India is strengthening its port connectivity backbone with the approval of a ₹132.51 crore Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Deendayal Port Authority. This critical infrastructure project will ease congestion, ensure seamless cargo movement, and enhance logistics efficiency at one of… pic.twitter.com/vuYKCQ3Xzi
— Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (@shipmin_india) April 3, 2026
The meeting saw the revised costs of the project analysed in detail, in order to see how the money could best be used to create an ROB compliant with modern safety standards and technical specifications.
The proposed ROB is a critical addition to the port's infrastructure, designed to boost movement across the rail crossing by eliminating bottlenecks in a bid to increase the operational efficiency of the Deendayal Port.
In reducing congestion and expediting cargo evacuation, the new ROB is expected to strengthen the port's place in India's overall maritime logistics ecosystem.
"Aligned with the Sagarmala Programme and PM Gati Shakti, we are building integrated infrastructure that accelerates trade, enhances safety and supports economic growth," Union Minister, MoPSW, Sarbananda Sonowal, said on Friday.
Deendayal Port dethrones Paradip
This comes as the Deendayal Port on Wednesday became the first port in India to handle 160.11 million metric tonnes (MMT), dethroning the Paradip Port in Odisha, which has ruled over India's major ports for about two years, in terms of cargo handling.
The Kandla-based port had handled 160.11 MMT by the end of FY 2025-26—3.66 MMT more than the Paradip Port, which logged in 156.45 MMT over the same period.
While Deendayal is in the west and handles dry and liquid bulk cargo, Paradip is in the east and handles mostly dry bulk cargo.
