The Hindu Business Line : Govt firming up plans for National Highway projects — Signs pact with US for maritime transport

The Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Mr T. R. Baalu (right), with the Secretary, Road Transport and Highways, Mr Dhanendra Kumar, at a press conference in the Capital on Thursday. — Ramesh Sharma

New Delhi , April 14

THE Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways has decided to widen 5,000 km of National Highways, which are 4-laned roads at present to 6-lanes on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis under the National Highway Development Policy (NHDP) V.

The Government has decided that all the projects included in NHDP III to VII will now be taken under BOT basis. NHDP Phase III to VII, all of which are expected to be completed by 2007, are estimated to cost about Rs 1,72,000 crore.

The NHDP V will include sections with high density of traffic or corridors, which are otherwise important for tourist or economic reasons. "Cabinet approval will soon be applied for," said Mr L.K. Joshi, Member Administration, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) while speaking at a press conference chaired by Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Mr T.R. Baalu.

The Ministry has also identified about 400 km of Vadodara-Mumbai section for construction of an Expressway under NHDP Phase VI. This would result in Ahmedabad being connected to Mumbai by an Expressway. A study, supported by World Bank, will identify another 600 km of road length for construction of Expressways. The work on these Expressways will also be taken up on BOT basis. "A total of 1,000 km of Expressways connecting important commercial and industrial townships will be undertaken in the NHDP Phase VI," said Mr Joshi.

Additionally, for construction under NHDP Phase VII, the Ministry is in the process of identifying cities that need Ring Roads for proper regulation and movement of traffic.

The Ministry has chalked out a special accelerated road development programme for the north-eastern region, envisaging construction of 7,600 km of road for its speedy economic growth and strengthening of integration with the rest of the country. He said the programme, with its estimated cost pegged at Rs 12,000 crore, is yet to receive Cabinet approval. A Committee of Secretaries, empowered to take decisions on issues that cause delay in completion of projects met for the first time on April 1 and took several decisions including handing over of Defence and Airports Authority of India's land for the construction of Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

In another related development, India and the US on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of surface and maritime transport for exchange of knowledge and technology in the areas of infrastructure, financing, road safety and the use of intelligent transportation systems.

Under the MoC, the US Department of Transport and India's Department of Road Transport and Highways will promote scientific and technical cooperation and collaboration in the field of transportation science and technology in the long-term interest of both the countries.

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Govt firming up plans for National Highway projects — Signs pact with US for maritime transport