Nitish Kumar to lay stone of elevated corridor

November 1, 2013

TNN |

PATNA: Yet another milestone in the state capital will start taking shape on Friday when the foundation stone of elevated corridor from AIIMS Patna to Digha will be laid by chief minister Nitish Kumar. The project is to be completed by October 2016.

Starting from AIIMS Patna on NH-98 and terminating at Digha on Ganga Path, the length of the road will be 11.9km, of which 9.7km will be elevated. It will have connectivity with NH-98, NH-30, NH-19 and Ganga Path.

Bihar State Road Development Corporation (BSRDC) MD and state road secretary Pratyaya Amrit said this project has been designed as a high-speed and toll-free 4-lane corridor. It will have facilities like roadside furniture, street lighting, pedestrian facilities, rescue lane, traffic and medical aid post and noise barrier. The contractor firm awarded the work, Gammon India Limited, has promised to complete the project before the deadline.

Amrit said this project would also serve as a lifeline for the patients being rushed to AIIMS from any corner as it would be free from traffic congestion. “Considering the construction of four-lane Ganga Path and four-lane Patna-Bakhtiarpur on NH-30, the elevated corridor will act as a ring road of Patna,” said Amrit on the eve of inauguration of the project work on the project.

The total project cost is Rs 1,289 crore, while Gammon India has been awarded the work for Rs 717.30 crore.

The elevated corridor concept was conceived by Nitish in May 2012 during a site visit. He sent a letter to the Planning commission and submitted a proposal. The plan panel approved the proposal under BRGF in May 2013 and following administrative approval by the state government, the tender was floated in which many firms submitted their bid. The financial bids were opened last month.

Amrit also announced on this occasion that NH-98 (Patna-Aurangabad) work has been awarded and work will start early next year. He also said that construction of six-lane Ganga bridge from Kachchi Dargah to Biddupur is next on the radar of BSRDC and possibly work will start by February next.

Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com