[Fordmanchau]

Essar-Atlanta JV bags over Rs 1,000 cr NHAI project

The National Highways Authority of India Tuesday awarded a Rs 1,043-crore contract to a joint venture between Essar Projects and Atlanta Ltd, which will fetch it a premium of about Rs 250 crore.

The contract is for widening of 125.9 km Lucknow-Sultanpur stretch in Uttar Pradesh under the National Highways development Project (NHDP), the flagship road building programme of the Ministry of Transport and Highways.

"We have successfully awarded Rs 1,043.5 crore Lucknow-Sultanpur to a Essar-Atlanta JV. The concession period is of 23 years including two-and-a-half years of construction time," a senior road ministry official told media.

The bidder has agreed for annual premium of Rs 9.6 crore which will result in a total payment of about Rs 250 crore to NHAI, he said.

The project for four-laning of the stretch will be built under NHDP phase IV in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) mode.

[modisan]

Nice thread FordManchau, would also like to see more discussions around utility of these highways to enthusiasts like us in getting access to wonderful locations. Like, an improved NH-8 makes a trip to Neemrana Fort more encouraging for many. Likewise, a faster NH-1 might allow many to have more 'Murthal' paranthas

[Gypswift]

Modisan, for sure NH8 has been improved a lot but rider's choice is "there could have been a bit more".

One can find the list of completed stretches of most waited NH8, 1419 kms road, Delhi to Mumbai:

.:NHAI:.Completed Stretches on Golden Quadrilateral

The route:

Welcome to NHAI

[sgiitk]

@FordManchu; Do not be too hopeful. NH25 (EW corridor) which was the first bit of the GQ to be taken up (Vajpayee's time) is still incomplete on the Lucknow-Kanpur stretch esp. at Unnao where only a tractor can get through the patch of the railway overbridge under construction, and Jajmau (Ganga Bridge) to Rama Delvi (where it joins the NH2) is still a long time away from completion. So hold your horses, at least as far as the GQ in UP is concerned. I also doubt whether NH25 from Kanpur to Jhansi is actually completed (esp around Orai) even though the toll started some time back.

For some info see
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...know-mess.html

[JoseVijay]

Reviving an old thread. Hope the below information fits in here or else request the mods to move to the appropriate thread.

Highway ministry asked to focus on road side facilities.

Source link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/41035099.cms

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants National Highways should provide the joy of riding to those who hit the roads for a long drive.

At a review meeting held on Tuesday evening, he told highways ministry officials to focus on road side facilities and general presentation for an elevating experience while underlining that these are as important as physical targets. He also asked the officials to ensure that there is no compromise on quality of construction.

Sources said that Modi asked the ministry officials to ensure that every national highway has good amenities including resting places, eating joints and other public conveniences by earmarking areas for such facilities.

Though NHAI and road transport ministry have identified thousands of areas for wayside amenities, little work has been done so far. Already road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has said he wants to push creation of the best infrastructure along highways for commuters and drivers as well.

This year the highways ministry has set itself a higher target of awarding nearly 8,300 km and construction of 6,500 kms. Government officials said that Modi asked finance ministry officials present in the meeting to take the decision on giving more power to the highways ministry to approve projects involving higher investment. At present, the ministry can clear and approve projects entailing Rs 500 crore investment.

[darklord]

Modified vehicle to assess highway condition launched

The vehicle fitted with GPS, advanced lasers, automated measurement system, cameras to record HD videos will record road condition, wayside amenities, accident prone zones, road strength, condition of bridges and culverts besides encroachment.

http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...today/47294000


Slideshow:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/47380480.cms

[darklord]

Road project to link 100 districts gets underway

After Bharat Mala and Sagar Mala — aimed at improving road connectivity in border areas and coastal regions respectively — the government has now cleared plans to connect 100 of the 676 district headquarters in the country with world-class highways.

The Rashtriya Rajmarg Zila Sanjoyokta Pariyojna, approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a review meeting last week, entails development of 6,600 km of highways at an estimated cost of about Rs 60,000 crore.

http://indianexpress.com/article/bus...gets-underway/


As is apparently the rule nowadays, Kerala likely to be left out, reports Mathrubhumi; the villain being land acquisition problems and the lackluster attitude of the state.
http://www.mathrubhumi.com/story.php?id=547840

[darklord]

Punj Lloyd bags NHAI's Rs 542-cr Bihar project

"Punj Lloyd has secured a 41-km long, Rs 541.84 crore road project in Bihar from NHAI. The scope of work for the project includes four-laning from 360.91 km to 402 km of Gorakhpur-Gopalganj section of NH28 in Bihar," the company said in a statement.

http://www.business-standard.com/art...2600594_1.html

[darklord]

On highway to fruit & shade, India to bypass eucalyptus

NEW DELHI: Indian highways are set to get greener and cleaner look. From now onwards only fruit and shade bearing species such as peepal, mahua, mango, imli, jamun, arjun, seesam and jackfruit will be planted along roads unlike the present practice of planting eucalyptus.

The road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has given a go ahead to the "Green Highways (Plantation & Maintenance) Policy", which makes it mandatory for the agencies carrying out plantation along highways to maintain them.

http://m.timesofindia.com/india/On-h...w/47752116.cms

I am not sure about the jackfruit idea though

[sgiitk]

Finally the Railway Over Bridge on NH25 at Unnao is done, only about five years behind schedule.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by darklord

Punj Lloyd bags NHAI's Rs 542-cr Bihar project
http://www.business-standard.com/art...2600594_1.html

DOes it cost 13 crore per km of a NH? I believe land aquisition would contribute 30% of this cost.

Really hope the road projects are distributed across the country rather than in a single region.

The bangalore region really needs a couple of bypass roads and bangalore mysore would need atleast a 8 lane instead of the proposed 6.

Maddy

[sgiitk]

@maddy42; Just read in the paper today that the twin ring roads (two reads providing the full ring) for Delhi may again see the light of the day. Half of it was the KMP expressway, which started and then stalled - could me money, or Environment clearances, and the second on the east side, which never went beyond tender as nobody was interested in PPP. Both are being revived. The former is Haryana Govt and the latter centre.

[sgiitk]

Now heard that the link from NH2 to NH25 is also nearing completion around Rama Devi. So people coming from Delhi or Allahabad and heading for Lucknow will get some relief. They seem to be in a mood (or under pressure) to wind up.

[virgopal]

More wayside amenities on highways
Travellers along the National Highway (NH) corridors managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) can soon look forward to basic wayside amenities every 25 km and larger wayside amenities every 50 km, being launched to ensure safe and convenient journey for long-distance travellers.

Land will be acquired by the NHAI for the development of the facilities where no land is available now for setting up the amenities, a policy/concept paper on wayside amenities released by the NHAI has said.

The NHAI has come up with five modes for developing wayside amenities and augmentation of the existing facilities. In development, operations and maintenance of wayside amenities in PPP mode, the long-term concession the private party will get will be 29 years with the concessionaire having the first right of refusal for another term of up to 29 years at an yearly concessional fee of Re.1. The facilities will have a standard conceptual plan, façade design with flexibility to modify the interiors.

The NHAI will take up the development in EPC mode where the response from the private sector is poor for developing, operating and maintaining the wayside amenities. Upon completion of such units, the operation and maintenance will be given to the private sector for 29 years after inviting competitive bids. The NHAI has also decided to go for renovation retro-fitting of wayside amenities which have been created earlier under contracts of four-laning and six-laning of the NH stretches.

Another mode worked out is incentivising the petrol and diesel retail outlet owners on NH stretches for enhancing the quality of basic toilet-cum-drinking water facilities.

Groups and individuals owning adequate land abutting the NH will get the assistance from the NHAI for creating the facilities.
Src:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle8363382.ece

[sgiitk]

Good idea. I But the real challenge will be maintaining decent wash rooms. Also, will the multi-utility shops get decent custom. I terms normal driving 25km is just 25 minutes or so. What can happen and will be disaster, if it does, is that they degenerate into booze or anti-social joints.