Hoping stalled projects will revive on policy tweaks: NHAI
June 21, 2013
The year 2012-13 was one of the most challenging years in terms of awarding of projects, says National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chairman RP Singh.
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RP Singh)
Chairman
NHAI
The year 2012-13 was one of the most challenging years in terms of awarding of projects, says National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) chairman RP Singh.
The original target of awarding 8,800 km was increased to 9,500 km by PMO mid-year; the target was lowered to 8,500 km and then to 5,000 km. However, NHAI ended up awarding 1,000-1,100 km. The poor performance was on a high base and construction per day was down from 16 km per day to approx 10-12 km per day.
Singh says award of projects is a market-driven phenomenon, adding that the NHAI is now looking to award projects only on EPC basis versus BoT as most developers do not want to bid for the latter due to funding constraints.
Banks are holding their funds towards the roads sector until assured of design and traffic growth details. NHAI believes the Indian road sector needs to get private equity players, along with other ways to pay premium. “We do not see NHAI taking up too many cash contract projects,” he told CNBC-TV18 in an interview.
However, in a major relief to the road development sector, the Supreme Court on March 12, 2013 ruled in favour of the NHAI by delinking the environment clearance (EC) and the forest clearance (FC). Now, the contracting companies do not have to wait for the FC and can commence the construction work once the EC is received. This will allow projects to get completed faster, Singh believes.
The work on 20 stalled highway projects worth Rs 27,000 crore, which were stuck for a long time for want of EC, would be executed soon after the clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the projects are set to get back on track.
Meanwhile, the government has asked banks to ease funding for the road projects and consider toll revenues as tangible assets. The finance ministry has proposed RBI to treat loans to the roads project as secured. NHAI says if government’s proposals are implemented, credit flows to the fund-starved sector could grow by at least 20-25 percent. The road ministry has been making a lot of representations to the Finmin lately to discuss sector issues.
On GMR exiting Rs 7,700 crore Ahmedabad- Kishangarh highway project, and GVK exiting the Shivpuri-Dewas Expressway in MP, Singh says NHAI is working out details to back-end premiums for GMR and GVK projects. “The companies exited the high profile projects as they turned unviable for them,” he says. GMR, however, had indicated fresh interest in the project if the premium terms are tweaked.
Spadework for renovation of NH-143 finally begins
June 21, 2013
By Express News Service – ROURKELA
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has finally started the spadework for widening NH-143 (earlier NH-23) stretch from Birmitrapur to Barkote passing through Sundargarh and Deogarh districts.
NHAI sources said of the total 125.615 km of the NH, the stretch of around 88 km between Birmitrapur and Rajamunda would be converted into four-lane while the rest stretch till Barkote would be two-lane with ‘paved shoulders’.
The NHAI under the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) Phase-IV has allocated `778.60 crore for the project. It would be executed by the Birmitrapur-Barkote Tollway Ltd (BBTL) which has been appointed by principal construction firm Gammon Infrastructure Project Ltd on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis. The BBTL submitted a design to the NHAI a couple of days back.
The project includes a new Brahmani bridge at Panposh to replace the existing rickety one. Manager (Technical), NHAI, Madan Mohan Sahu said the bridge will be located between the existing bridge and the railway-over-bridge at Panposh to minimise displacement. There would be bypasses at Birmitrapur, Kuanrmunda and Lathikata while at Rajamunda there would be a rotary. Once they get the land and forest clearance, the project could be completed in 30 months, Sahu said.
Following a review meeting, Sundargarh Collector Roopa Roshan Sahoo appointed Rourkela ADM RN Mishra as the authority to acquire land. The Collector said all technical issues are being sorted out on priority basis.
The ADM informed that the notification for the bridge area under the provision of the NHAI Act has been done and the required notification for rest areas would be done by June 16.
Counting of trees between Rourkela and Rajamunda to be felled for the highway project has been completed and the process towards Birmitrapur is pending.
Administrative sources apprehend that acquisition of forest land may delay the project as the Highway passes through several reserve forests under the Rourkela and Bonai forest divisions in the district. Rajgangpur MLA Gregory Minz who raised the issue several times insisted on timely completion of the project.
Source-http://newindianexpress.com/
North – South railway station corridor soon
June 21, 2013
By Princy Alexander | ENS – KOCHI
The Kochi Corporation’s proposal for a corridor connecting the South railway station and North Town Station in the city is likely to see the light of day, with the Mayor proposing to submit the project details to the state government soon.
Mayor Tony Chammany said that the proposal could be incorporated in the metro rail preparatory works. The much-discussed plan has been included in this year’s Corporation budget. “If we are able to construct a road connecting the North station and the South railway station via the road adjacent to the Ambedkar stadium, it will help decongest the city traffic. Vehicles can be diverted through the North railway station towards the South railway station premises and enter MG Road. We are placing the project proposal with an estimate of Rs 8 crore before the government,” the Mayor said.
The Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry( KCCI) chairman K N Marzook, said that land acquisition may be a hurdle for the implementation of the project. However, if it becomes a reality, it will be a major boon for Kochiites. “There is already an existing road connecting both the North and South Railway stations. The GCDA has agreed to give the land for the project. Widening of the road would require land acquisition,” Marzook said.
However, GCDA Chairman N Venugopal slammed the project, saying that it was not practical. “A large number of families will have to be evicted in the area. The Corporation is yet to rehabilitate the Moolampally Canal evictees. How do they plan to accommodate so many families if the project is to be made a reality,” Venugopal said.
Source-http://newindianexpress.com
India approves major highway widening projects in Assam and Madhya Pradesh
June 20, 2013
The Government of India is set to launch four road-widening projects worth Rs46.2bn ($849.14m) on the national highways in the states of Assam and Madhya Pradesh.
Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), the four new projects cover three developments in Assam and one in Madhya Pradesh.
The work in Assam will widen National Highways 37 (NH-37) under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme North Eastern Region (SARDP-NE) Phase A at a cost of Rs19.33bn ($355.15m).
NH-37 projects also include the Rs8.74bn ($160.7m) four laning of the 80km Jorhat-Demow section, the Rs4.73bn ($87m) four laning of the 46km Demow-Bogibil junction, and a Rs5.84bn ($107.3m) four laning of the 51km Numaligarh-Jorhat section.
All three projects in Assam will be executed on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis in a build-operate-transfer (BOT) delivery mode, and will speed up the improvement of infrastructure in the state, while increasing employment potential for local labourers.
In Madhya Pradesh, the CCEA approved the four laning with Paved Shoulders of the Jabalpur-Bhopal section of National Highway 12 (NH-12) under the National Highways Development Project Phase III, on a DBFOT basis in a BOT mode of delivery.
The Rs26.86bn ($493.28M) project will reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic on NH-12 between Jabalpur and Bhopal.
http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com
Golden Quadrilateral Highway Network, India
June 20, 2013
The Golden Quadrilateral is a network of highways connecting India’s main cities.
Overall length of the Golden Quadrilateral is 5,846km.
The whole stretch of the Golden Quadrilateral was operational by 2012.
The Golden Quadrilateral project is phase I of the NHDP.
It is operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
Key Data
Golden Quadrilateral is a network of highways connecting India’s four top metropolitan cities, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, thereby, forming a quadrilateral. The largest highway project in India, the Golden Quadrilateral project was launched in 2001 as part of National Highways Development Project (NHDP).
The overall length of the quadrilateral is 5,846km consisting of four / six lane express highways. The project was estimated to cost INR600bn ($13.2bn) but was completed at about half of the estimated costs, at INR308.58bn. The whole length of the quadrilateral was operational by January 2012.
An efficient road network is essential for a large country like India to maintain national integration and socio-economic development. India has a large network of highways maintained by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
These highways altogether account for just two percent of the country’s total road infrastructure but they carry 40% of the total national traffic.
NHAI’s Golden Quadrilateral project
The Golden Quadrilateral project is phase one of the NHDP. It establishes transportation links between major cities of India, such as New Delhi, Jaipur (Rajasthan), Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra), Bangalore (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Kolkata (West Bengal) and Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh).
The Golden Quadrilateral has four sections. Section I is a 1,454km stretch of National Highway 2 (NH2) from Delhi to Kolkata. It runs through Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It connects major cities in these states, such as Delhi, Faridabad, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi.
Section II is a 1,684km stretch from Kolkata to Chennai. It consists of NH6 (Kolkata to Kharagpur), NH60 (Kharagpur to Balasore) and NH5 (Balasore to Chennai). It passes through the states of West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Section III is a 1,290km stretch from Chennai to Mumbai. It constitutes parts of NH4 (Mumbai to Bangalore), NH7 (Bangalore to Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu) and NH46 (Krishnagiri to nearby Chennai). It passes through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Section IV is a 1,419km stretch between Mumbai and Chennai. It constitutes parts of NH 8 (Delhi to Kishangarh), NH 79A (Ajmer bypass), NH 79 (Nasirabad to Chittaurgarh) and NH 76 (Chittaurgarh to Udaipur). It passes through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and New Delhi. It connects major cities which include Delhi, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Mumbai.
Planning and construction of the highway network connecting India’s main cities
The planning for the Golden Quadrilateral project was completed in 1999. It included construction of a few new express highways and extension of the existing road to four or six lanes. The project was officially started in 2001.
It was planned for completion by 2006, but land acquisition issues and re-negotiations with contractors delayed the progress of the project. The project was almost complete by January 2012, with a few smaller sections being renovated.
Contractors and financing behind the major Indian road project
Being a huge project, the construction of the Golden Quadrilateral was divided into several sections based on the state provinces. Construction contracts for each section were individually awarded.
Major contractors involved in the project are Larsen & Toubro, LG Engg. & Construction, Nagarjuna Construction, Consortium of GVK International and BSCPL, IRCON International, Punj Lloyd, Progressive Construction, ECSB-JSRC, B. Seenaiah & Co., Madhucon Projects, Sadbhav Engg., KMC Construction, Gujarat Public Works Department, SKEC – Dodsal, MSRDC, Mumbai, Skanska Cementation India, Hindustan Construction Company, RBM – PATI, Unitech, CIDBI Malaysia and PATI – BEL.
The financing for the project is obtained from the taxes on petrol and diesel, which accounts to INR200bn, INR200bn through external assistance, INR100bn from market borrowings and INR40bn from private sector participation.
The project has been executed through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the NHAI and the corresponding contractors.
The contractors will collect the toll taxes for a specified concession period.
Future plans for the Golden Quadrilateral and the NHDP
Some sections between key areas on the highways NH2, NH5 and NH8 of the Golden Quadrilateral are planned to be extended to six lanes to make it an expressway and ensure smooth flow of traffic. The extension will be done on a design, finance, build and operate basis.
In September 2011, infrastructure group GMR won an Rs72bn ($1.4bn) contract from the NHAI to widen the 555km Kishangarh-Udaipur-Ahmedabad highway from four lanes to six.
The section forms part of the Delhi-Mumbai Golden Quadrilateral corridor. The company will construct about 3,336 lane kilometres and operate the highway for 26 years under the design, finance, build and operate concession.
Source-http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com
IL&FS secures major highway widening contract in India
June 20, 2013
India-based transportation infrastructure company IL&FS Transportation Networks (ITNL) has signed a new concession agreement with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for a Rs16.65bn ($304.3m) road widening project in the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal.
To be executed under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase V on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBOFT) basis, the latest project includes six-laning the Barwa-Adda-Panagarh stretch of National Highway 2 (NH-2) from km 398.240 to km 521.120, including the Panagarh Bypass.
The project is set to be implemented on a toll basis, and has a concession period of 20 years, including a 910-day period for construction. ITNL had quoted a premium of Rs420m ($7.68m) for the project.
{“The project is set to be implemented on a toll basis, and has a
concession period of 20 years,
including a 910-day period for construction.”}
Established in 2000, IL&FS Transportation Networks is a surface transportation infrastructure company and a private sector BOT road operator in India.
The company is involved in the development, operation and maintenance of national and state highways, roads, flyovers and bridges in various states across the country.
IL&FS has also signed a concession agreement with NHAI for Rs13.48bn ($246.48m) four-laning of the Khed-Sinnar section of National Highway 50 (NH-50) in the state of Maharashtra.
The programme will carried out under Phase IV B on DBFOT basis and has a concession period of 20 years, including construction period of 910 days.
ADB to fund major highway project linking India’s North-East and Myanmar
June 20, 2013
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to provide financing for a major highway project that will link India’s North-East (NE) region to Myanmar.
This latest project comes at the time when India’s commerce minister Anand Sharma set a bilateral trade target of $3bn by 2015 in his recent visit to Myanmar.
In addition, India is planning to launch a bus service from Moreh to Myanmar’s Mandalay, along with an integrated check-post in Moreh in order to facilitate the transportation of goods and services at the borders of the two countries.
{“The planned highway, which is in accordance with
India’s Look-East policy,will connect
Agartala, Silchar, Imphal and Moreh with Myanmar.” }
Officials from ADB have recently visited Manipur for a technical survey and presented their preliminary aid memo to the Indian road ministry, which is examining the appropriate alignment and several other technical aspects before okaying the project.
A Road Ministry official was quoted by The Indian Economic Times as saying that the ADB is interested in financing four-lane highways, which has to be in line with traffic conditions in these regions.
According to experts, the proposed highway project is vital for India, as well as for other countries, such as Japan that are seeking to restrict China’s dominance over lesser-developed countries in South-East Asia.
India offered help to Myanmar in upgrading its 160km-long Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo road as well as in constructing the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project, among other developments.
India’s Look East policy, initiated in 1991, represents the country’s efforts to develop extensive economic and strategic relations with South-East Asian countries in order to strengthen its position as a regional power and a counterweight to the strategic influence of China.
US breaks ground on final part of Ohio River Bridges project
June 20, 2013
{ “The new bridge and its counterpart in Louisville’s East End will be the
region’s first new bridges in more than 50 years.”}
The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has broken ground on the $1.3bn Downtown Crossing – the second half of the Ohio River Bridges project.
Scheduled to be completed in late 2016, the project involves the construction of a new bridge that widens I-65 from seven to 12 lanes over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville and the reconstruction of Kennedy Interchange where I-64, I-65, and I-71 converge.
The new bridge and its counterpart in Louisville’s East End will be the region’s first new bridges in more than 50 years.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said: “This new bridge, and its East End counterpart, will create jobs and provide more transportation options for one of America’s most important trade corridors.”
Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez said: “By reducing congestion, these bridge projects not only create jobs but will allow local residents to spend more time with friends and family.”
Planning for the project started in 1969, and works on the East End Crossing began in autumn last year.
The programme was approved by the federal authorities in June 2012, and was originally estimated to cost $4.1bn but later revised to $2.6bn.
The new bridge will almost double the traffic capacity of the river crossing and considerably lower the time and cost required to ship US products through the Louisville metropolitan area.
Image: The new bridge and its counterpart in Louisville’s East End will be the region’s first new bridges in nearly 50 years.
Source-http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com
Australia begins installation of smart technology on West Gate Freeway
June 20, 2013
“
(The technology will be fully integrated with the system already in use on the M1 east of Williamstown Road, as well as that planned for the M80 Ring Road.”
Australia has begun the installation of new electronic freeway management technology along the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne, Victoria.
The project includes new signs to inform drivers which lanes they should use and any temporary speed limit changes, as well as closed circuit television, and an upgrade to the supporting communication networks and central control systems.
The technology will be fully integrated with the system already in use on the M1 east of Williams town Road, as well as that planned for the M80 Ring Road.
Scheduled to be completed by mid-2014, the project will provide Melbourne with the tools to better manage traffic flows and respond quickly to accidents and breakdowns.
“Indeed if applied nationwide, electronic freeway management systems have the potential to greatly reduce congestion and save Australian families and businesses more than $500 million a year,” the minister said.
The West Gate Freeway project is being funded by the Federal ($12.5m) and Victorian ($12.5m) governments.
West Gate Freeway connects Geelong to Melbourne CBD, and will also act as a link between Melbourne and the west.
It will also connect industrial and residential areas west of the Yarra River with the city and port areas.
Image: Around 180,000 motorists and truck drivers use West Gate Freeway every day. Photo: courtesy of Thiess.
Source-http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com
Siemens to supply intelligent transportation system to Polish city
June 19, 2013
German engineering and electronics conglomerate Siemens has secured a contract to supply intelligent transportation system to improve traffic flow in the city of Poznan, Poland.
Scheduled for commissioning in spring 2015, Siemens’ Sitraffic Concert will gather, evaluate and process real-time traffic data from over 200 measurement points, including intersections, parking lots and public transport.
The system will offer information on the current traffic situation and departure times of nearby public transportation, as well as speed up the flow of public transport through traffic control when required.
All traffic information will be also transmitted to the internet, as well as being available for radio, texting, email and various transportation applications.
The contract involves the installation of 12 variable message signs in strategic locations, displaying information collected from 115 intersections in the primary road network by the traffic control centre.
The centre also measures the type, number and speed of passing vehicles at regular intervals.
Poznan, the fifth largest city in Poland with a population of more than 500,000, is experiencing rapid growth in traffic.
The latest intelligent transportation system by Siemens is expected to support further transport-related developments and improve the efficiency of public transportation in the city.
Siemens has previously implemented a wide range of projects in major Polish cities and other parts of the world, including Warsaw, Cracow, Athens, Budapest, Berlin, Reykjavik, Prague, Vienna, Innsbruck, Rome, Geneva, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg and Bogota.
[The new €15m contract aims to coordinate private and public transportation in a cross-system concept in order to enhance the overall traffic situation in the city.]
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