DEEPA H. RAMAKRISHNAN
NHAI to get permission for road to pass through elephant reserve
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is in the process of getting clearance from the National Board of Wildlife, for 8 km of the proposed Chennai-Bangalore Expressway.
The green field project road will pass through 7 km of the Royal Elephant Reserve in Andhra Pradesh, and about 300 metres of the Mahimandalam forest in Vellore district.
Officials at NHAI said that after having made changes in the alignment, they needed about 67 acres of land in the elephant reserve.
“Under the earlier alignment, the road cut across the forest in four locations but that has been brought down to just one location now,” explained an official.
The Union ministry of environment and forests (MOEF) had recently asked the NHAI to identify routes used by elephants so that underpasses could be built for vehicles. “The project consultant has already studied and suggested two underpasses. We have also requested the district forest officer, Chittoor, to look at our proposal,” the official said.
The MOEF had also asked the NHAI to explore the possibilities of utilisation of fly ash in embankment construction, to look at the possibility of cooled mix technology instead of the regular hot mix and for details of water bodies along the alignment of the project.
“These are all under preparation presently and we are likely to get MOEF clearance in a year’s time by when land acquisition is likely to be completed,” the official said.
The six-lane, access-controlled road will be 262 km long and require around 2,600 hectares of land. The expressway, which has been proposed under the National Highways Development Project, will pass through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and take the Kolar, Chittoor route.
On completion, it will be an alternative to the two existing roads to Bangalore – the one passing through Kolar and Chittoor and the Hosur, Krishnagiri and Walajapet route.
TNN |
JAIPUR: Finally, after being at loggerheads for several months on various issues regarding widening of Jaipur-Gurgaon stretch of national highway (NH-8), the state government andNational Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has reached a consensus on two major impediments. NHAI received an estimate for the relocation of two high-tension power (HTP) lines on Wednesday, while the state government handed over the land at Sanjay Van to the authorities.
After dilly-dallying for 20 months, the Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (JVVNL) has given the total costing for the relocation of two HTP lines from Jaipur bypass. The JVVNL will roughly take two months for processing the tender and another two months for shifting it after which NHAI is expected to start construction in the patch.
NHAI is examining the estimate and clarification submitted by the electricity board and is likely to take final decision on it soon. The issue was pending with the Jaipur discom for past many months leading to a delay in widening the stretch. However, after a team of engineers went to Japan to study the technology for transfer of lines, the JVVNL has agreed to initiate the work.
In another major breakthrough, the state government provided land to the concessionaire for carrying out work at Sanjay Van. Earlier, the government was demanding construction of a boundary wall from the developer in lieu of handing over the forest land, which NHAI rejected. It maintained that a payment of Rs 1.15 crore has already been made to forest department as a part of compensation. After intervention from the officials of NHAI and state government, the issue was finally settled.
“Our efforts are on to remove all hindrances for all the national highway projects in the state including important linkage between Delhi-Jaipur. I am hopeful that most of the issues will be sorted out soon and inconvenience caused to commuters will be reduced to minimum possible extent,” said AK Mishra, chief general manager (technical-NHAI), Rajasthan.
Jaipur: After locking horns for several months on various issues in widening of Jaipur-Gurgaon stretch of national highway (NH -8), the state government and National Highway Authority of India reached a consensus on two major impediments. NHAI has received an estimate for the relocation of two high tension power (HTP) lines on Wednesday while state government has handed over the land at Sanjay Van to the authority.
After dillydallying for 20 months the Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited has given the total costing for the relocation of two HTP line from Jaipur bypass. The JVVNL will roughly take two months for processing the tender and another two months for shifting it after which NHAI is expected to start construction in the patch.
NHAI is examining the estimate and clarification submitted by the electricity board and is likely to take final decision on it soon. The issue was pending with the Jaipur discom for the past many months leading to delay in widening of the stretch. However after a team of engineers went to Japan to study the technology for transfer of lines, the JVVNL has agreed to initiate the work.
In another major break through, the state government provided land to the concessionaire for carrying out work at Sanjay Van. Earlier, the government was demanding construction of a boundary wall from the developer in lieu of handing over the forest land, which NHAI rejected. It maintained that a payment of Rs. 1.15 cr has already been made to forest department as a part of compensation. After intervention from the officials of NHAI and state government issue was finally settled down.
“Our efforts are to remove all hindrances for all the national highway projects in the state including important linkage between Delhi-Jaipur. I am hopeful that most issues will be sorted out soon and inconvenience caused to commuters will be reduced to minimum possible extent” said AK Mishra, chief general manager (Tech), Rajasthan.
The Hindu -A milling machine deployed by NHAI on Monday to scoop out the tarred portion of the severely-potholed Kumbalam-Aroor bridge. Photo: H. Vibhu.
Damaged bridges on Container Road still out of bounds
The Kumbalam-Aroor bridge will be thrown open to vehicles this week after repairing the potholes.
On Monday, a milling machine brought from Andhra Pradesh scooped out the tarred portion, exposing the concrete surface. “There are a few uneven surfaces over concrete and patch work will be done using bitumen. Vehicles will be able to use the bridge soon after,” said NHAI’s Kochi project director C.T. Abraham.
The bridge was built in late 1980’s by the Kerala State Construction Corporation using pre-stressed concrete. Five months after traffic was banned through the bridge, NHAI recently entrusted a contractor to scoop out the bridge’s tarred, potholed surface.
The repair work is being done on the basis of a report from a team of experts from IIT, Chennai. They spoke of how tarring has to be done afresh, since pothole-filling will not last long, Mr Abraham said.
Potholes developed all over the old bridge within a few months of NHAI resurfacing it in July 2011. Motorists, traffic police, NGOs and youth wings of political parties had blamed NHAI for inordinate delay in fixing the damage, despite the agency collecting hefty toll from highway users. The potholes thus became bigger, exposing the bridge’s concrete surface. After a slew of protests and accidents, NHAI curbed traffic through the bridge in June.
Container road bridges
Though Aroor-Kumbalam bridge is slated to be opened to vehicles next week, NHAI is yet to reopen two brand new bridges which were closed down in 2012 following structural damage. Both were built by Soma Constructions.
The bridge built parallel to the second Goshree bridge was closed to traffic after its gap slab began to sink at an alarming rate.
The NHAI entrusted the probe to civil engineering experts from NIT, Kozhikode, who are yet to finalise their report. To a question on how the problem could be rectified, Mr Abraham said the spans will have to be extended or their number increased, thereby extending the bridge’s viaduct.
Similarly, the Moolampilly-Kothad bridge on the Vallarpadam-Kalamassery Container Road was declared out of bounds for vehicles within a year of it being opened to traffic. This was after a huge chunk of concrete fell off the bridge’s surface, leaving a gaping hole in the bridge.
“Repair works are under way, following which the bridge will be opened to traffic,” Mr Abraham said.
Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA
Ashutosh Kumar
IRB Infrastructure Ltd has emerged as the preferred bidder for Rs 1,500 crore highway development contract for four-laning of the 98.7 km stretch between Solapur and Yedeshi in Maharashtra from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
A senior NHAI official said, “With the drying up of appetite for the toll-based projects in the last one year, the government had skewed its contract awards towards normal engineering, procurement construction (EPC) basis. Projects like this give an opportunity for asset development in addition to the growth in size for developers.”
The toll project, coming after a gap of almost a year, will be developed on a design build finance operate and transfer model by IRB.
IRB has sought a viability gap funding (VGF) of Rs 189 crore — about 12% of the capital cost of the project — from the NHAI.
In the toll model of the highway funding, the government offers VGF, or upfront grant, to developers, capped at 40% of the project cost. The developer raises the remaining amount in a 60:40 debt equity ratio.
IRB plans to develop the Solapur-Yedeshi section in 910 days. The concession period for this project is 29 years, which means IRB will retain the right on toll revenues from the project for 29 years before transferring the asset to the government.
This project will add up to the companies’ present construction order book of Rs 5,050 crore, which is to be executed in the next two to three years.
The company has 18 toll projects, of which 16 are operational.
Source-http://www.dnaindia.com
By Express News Service – ROURKELA
Faced with inordinate delay in land acquisition and rehabilitation of people to be displaced by upgradation of NH-143 and 520 running through Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Deogarh districts, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has taken up the issue with respective Collectors to expedite the process.
Sources said NHAI regional officer LP Padhi, who wrapped up his two-day visit on Saturday, along with other NHAI officials, met Sundargarh Collector Bhupendra Singh Poonia and his Keonjhar counterpart BP Sahoo requesting them to expedite land acquisition process.
He also discussed various issues related to NHAI concessionaires.
An NHAI official said besides land acquisition, they are facing problems in getting permission for felling trees. Besides, the forest land diversion proposals are moving at a snail’s pace.
After a meeting at Rajgangpur, Sundargarh Collector said the land acquisition process is in compensation disbursement stage for NH-143 which is to be four-laned from Birmitrapur to Rajamunda. He assured of removing the hurdles for NH-520 passing through Koida and Lahunipara blocks of Bonai sub-division.
NHAI Manager (Technical) MM Sahu said the NH-143 stretch of around 88 kms from Birmitrapur to Rajamunda would be four-laned while the remaining stretch of around 37 kms from Rajamunda to Barkote in Deogarh district would be two-laned.
The Birmitrapur-Barkote Tollway Ltd, a subsidiary of NHAI concessionaire Gammon Infrastructure Ltd, would execute the project at an estimated cost of ` 778.6 crore and the project includes second Brahmani bridge at Rourkela, Sahu said. It would be completed on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.
Regarding the NH-520 project, NHAI Manager (Technical) Debabrata Kundu said they have apprised Keonjhar Collector of delay in the project and he has assured of necessary support.
Kundu further said of 96 kms stretch from Rimuli to Rajamunda, running through Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts, around 84 kms would be four-laned and remaining 12 kms two-laned.
Source-http://www.newindianexpress.com
Conducts a safety audit; to repair 6 major bridges between Dehu Rd and Satara
After several lives were lost in highway accidents, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has finally woken up to the risk factors for highway commuters. They are in the process of sending a safety audit report to New Delhi before starting repair works on six major bridges — from Dehu Road to Satara — which are unsafe for commuters and require urgent repairs.
The revelation comes in the wake of tragic death of four employees of an advertisement firm based in Pune early last month. The driver of the car missed the gap between the bridges on near Nira river and their car plunged into the river. The spot likes 70 km from Pune on Pune-Satara Road.
The PS Toll Roads, a subsidiary agency of Reliance Infra, had submitted a letter to NHAI on November 25. The letter stated that urgent repairs, including crash barriers and fencing were required at various places on the stretch. Taking note of the letter, NHAI swung into action and asked two other companies to carry out the safety audit report.
NHAI project director Rajesh Kaundal, said, “Following the report submitted by Reliance we asked RH Associates and a third party safety consultant to conduct a safety audit. They will submit a detailed report soon. Once we receive the data, we will send it to our head office in New Delhi.”
“Our safety consultants are also looking into the contract with Reliance and see what repairs works they should carry as per the tender. We have to get in principal approval for the work. Along with that we also need finance for the work. Once we get the final approval from our head office we will start the work,” Kaundal added.
The NHAI sent the report of the financial implication to their head office last week. They will be send a detailed report for the in principal approval by the end of next week. The authorities claimed that the groundwork will only start next year.
Source-http://www.dnaindia.com
Press Trust of India | Chandigarh
Kaithal-Ambala national highway would be four-laned at a cost of Rs 728 crore, a state minister said today.
Expressing gratitude towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singhand UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for approval of the project, Haryana Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said that this 90-km-long national highway would especially benefit three districts of Ambala, Kaithal and Kurukshetra.
He said separate bypasses would be constructed for the towns of Kaithal, Pehowa and Ismailabad which were situated between Kaithal and Ambala.
With the approval of this project, the long-standing demand of the people of the area has been fulfilled, he said, in an official release here.
Surjewala said that for the development of Kaithal an 18-km-long separate bypass would be constructed.
Also, a corridor from Kotputli to Ambala at a cost of Rs 1300 crore would be setup which would open new business and employment opportunities for the residents of Kaithal, he added.
Source-http://www.business-standard.com
TNN |
HYDERABAD: After the Volvo accident at Palem in Mahbubnagar district, fingers were pointed at the faulty road geometrics by various government agencies, including Crime Investigation Department (CID), during their preliminary enquiry.
However, to the shock of CID officials, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) senior officials on Wednesday wrote a letter to additional director-general of police (CID) T.Krishna Prasad, asserting that the road design is ‘flawless’.
Credible sources in the CID told TOI that, in a written reply to it, the NHAI asserted this point.
The CID sought NHAI’s opinion to know if there was any defect in the road design, especially near the culvert, where the driver of Jabbar Travels bus hit the structure. Forty-five passengers were charred to death in the incident. “Project director, NHAI, Ramesh Reddy said that there was absolutely no fault with the culvert design or its construction,” the sources said.
Family members of the bus victims have been knocking on the door of every institution, including Lokayukta, demanding action against influential JC Uma Reddy in whose name the bus was registered. But she is yet to be questioned by CID officials.
Investigators said scrutinizing documents was almost done and soon Uma Reddy, bus driver, bus operator, ticket booking agents, RTA officials and others would be questioned. The RTA officials are likely to be investigated as there were 52 passengers against the actual seating capacity of 43+2.
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under buses, NHAI
TNN
KOCHI:National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will relay the damaged stretch between Aroor and Kumbalam on NH66 (old NH47) on Friday.
The authority said that the machines required to carry out road milling works are on the way to Kochi from Andhra Pradesh.
NHAI project director C T Abraham said: “The plan is to grind the existing tarred surface and remove asphalt. We have to seal the concrete surface below and make it watertight. Later, the stretch will be relayed using bitumen concrete.”
NHAI had closed the Aroor-Kumbalam bridge after its surface developed large potholes that posed a threat to motorists. After inspecting the bridge, experts from IIT Madras had recommended that the entire tarred surface be removed. The bridge was built in 1987 and the authority stated that under present circumstance it was not possible to dismantle it.
Abraham said that the immediate concern of NHAI was to repair the road and make it motorable. The authority stated that though milling works are rarely carried out in the state, the works undertaken in Kochi was a ‘minor task which could be completed in a day’.
The estimated cost for the carrying out the work is around Rs 2.5 lakh. tnn The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will relay the damaged stretch on NH66 (old NH 47) between Aroor and Kumbalam on Friday. The authority said that the machine required for carrying out the “road milling works” are on the way to Kochi from Andhra Pradesh.
NHAI project director C T Abraham said, “The plan is to grind the existing tarred surface and remove asphalt. We have to seal the concrete surface below and make it water tight. Later, the stretch will be re-layed using bitumen concrete.”
NHAI had closed the Aroor-Kumbalam bridge after its surface developed large potholes, which posed grave threat to motorists. After inspecting the bridge, experts from IIT Madras had recommended to break up the entire tarred surface. The bridge was built in 1987 and the authority stated that under the present circumstance it was not possible to dismantle it.
Abraham said that the immediate concern of NHAI was to repair the road and make it motorable.
The authority stated that though milling works are rarely carried out in the state, the works undertaken in Kochi was a ‘minor task which could be completed in a day’. The estimated cost for the carrying out the works is around Rs 2.5 lakh.
Source-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under NHAI
Manabesh Mohanty,TNN |
NH-5 connects the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
The problem is an under-construction flyover near Madhupatna for which the private construction company has not made arrangements for a diversion. This situation has been going on for the past three to four months.
The construction company in question has not made any attempts to clear encroachment on the road which would have made it possible to create a diversion.
The National Highways Authority of India declined to comment.
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