Mega six-lane projects in offing

March 10, 2008

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With access-controlled expressways attracting massive investments, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to conduct the feasibility study for more such expressways.

Construction companies eyeing the access controlled, six-lane expressway projects of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are likely to get investment opportunities for at least four such projects spread over 495 km over the next few months.They are Chandikhol-Jagatpur-Bhubaneswar (70 kilometre length, estimated cost Rs 761 crore), Delhi-Hapur (47 km, Rs 474 crore), the 198-km stretch of Vijayawada-Elluru-Rajamundri (Rs 1,602 crore) and the 180-km stretch on Delhi-Agra highway (Rs 1,918 crore). The feasibility reports for these projects are already completed and the work is likely to be awarded in about six months, said NHAI officials.Toll collection These projects are for widening the current four-lane highways into six lanes and operating them for certain durations.Companies would have to bid competitively for these projects on a revenue-sharing basis. Thus companies would have to bid on the extent of toll revenue that they are ready to share with the Government if they are allowed to operate the roads.Since these highways are already four-lane stretches, the road operators can start toll collection even during the project construction phase from an ‘appointed date’ (within six months of winning the project), mutually decided by NHAI and the road operator. The toll revenues will be routed to an escrow account.Recently, the NHAI awarded four such mega projects of 882 km length, which are likely to cost an estimated Rs 10,912 crore.From the NHAI perspective, these projects have emerged as money-spinners, with companies willing to foot the entire construction cost and part with two per cent to 48.06 per cent of their revenues in the initial leg of the project.At the end of the concession period, which is about 12 to 15 years duration, the winning firms have agreed to part with 12 per cent to 59 per cent share of toll revenues.More studies The feasibility reports for another ten projects of similar nature are under preparation. They are: Kishangarh-Udaipur stretch (315 km, Rs 2,205 crore), Udaipur-Ahmedabad (235 km, Rs 1,645 crore), Varanasi-Aurangabad (190 km, Rs 1,330 crore), Nellore-Chilkaluripet (184 km, Rs 1,288 crore), Krishnagiri-Walajapet (148 km, Rs 1,036 crore), Pune-Satara (145 km, Rs 1,015 crore), Ludhiana-Chandigarh (85 km, Rs 595 crore), Belgaum-Dharwad (80 km, Rs 560 crore), Samakhiali-Gandhidham (56 km, Rs 392 crore), Indore-Dewas (55 km, Rs 385 crore).With access controlled expressways attracting massive investments, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to conduct the feasibility study for four such expressways between Delhi-Meerut, Chennai-Bangalore, Vadodara-Mumbai and Dhanbad-Kolkata. This was decided by the Road Ministry officials at a meeting with State Government authorities recently.Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com