NHAI signs second major agreement under NHDP-V in Gujarat

New Delhi, July 13 (UNI) Giving a fillip to the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode in the country's highway infrastructure modernisation programme, the NHAI has signed a Concession Agreement to six-lane the Vadodara-Bharuch Section of NH-8 on a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) inked the agreement yersterday with L&T Vadodara Bharuch Tollway Limited to widen from four-lane to six-lane, the 83-km-long Vadodara-Bharuch Section in Gujarat.

This is the second project to be awarded under the NHDP Phase-V.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Mr G Sharan, Member (Technical) NHAI, and Mr K Venkatesh, Vice President, L&T Vadodara Bharuch Tollway Limited at NHAI's Corporate Headquarters here.

The project involves the 6-laning of 83.3-km-long, high traffic density 4-lane corridor of the Vadodara-Bharuch Section, and is expected to be completed in 30 months at a cost of Rs. 660 crores.

This is the largest project cost for any BOT venture awarded so far. The concession period including the construction period for this project is 15 years.

Under the agreement, L&T Vadodara Bharuch Tollway Ltd will pay to the NHAI Rs 471 crore as a negative grant component, the second largest ever negative grant received so far for any highway project under the NHDP.

The largest negative grant of Rs. 504 crore was for the Bharuch-Surat six-laning project for which the concession agreement was signed on july 7 with IDAA Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.

Under Phase V of the NHDP, about 6,500 km of National Highways, including the Golden Quadrilateral, would be widened from 4 to 6-lane at a cost of Rs. 41,210 crore. This would include development of corridors/sections with high density of traffic which are otherwise important for tourism or economic reasons.

The Vadodara-Bharuch section project, once completed, will allow vehicles to ply at a speed of 100 km per hour. It will have 11 flyovers, two rail on bridges (ROBs), ten major bridges and 36 minor bridges. In adiition, there will be 21 bus shelters six CCTVs variable message signs metereological stations, and emergency communication system at every two km.

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