Page 52 - April 2022

TICKER TAPE
INFRASTRUCTURE Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to Kelapur stretch on NH-7 in Maharashtra. The NHAI had invited
SHRI NITIN GADKARI INAUGURATES 19 NATIONAL
HIGHWAY PROJECTS WORTH `1407 CRORE IN HARYANA
bids from potential bidders for the seventh bundle as well, but it
AND RAJASTHAN
wants certain clarification from the bidders of the 135-km Eastern
Peripheral Expressway (EPF) stretch in Delhi-NCR before opening
inaugurated 19 National Highway projects of `1,407 crore in
the financial bids, likely next week.
The NHAI has been monetising highway stretches since 2018. It
Haryana and Rajasthan, an official statement said. With the
construction of these projects, tourism, agriculture, industry and
made five attempts of monetisation through the TOT route before
trade will get a boost along with an increase in employment in
the states, the statement said.
The first one was a runaway success, fetching the authority `9,681
crore, 1.5 times its base price, for stretches totalling 681 km passing
Time and fuel will be saved and pollution will be reduced, it the ongoing lot and tasted success in three of them.
added. The statement also pointed out that the construction of through Gujarata and Maharashtra.
a U-turn near Ambience Mall will relieve the congestion on the None of the bidders matched up the floor price of `5,632 crore
Delhi-Gurugram border. for 586.55-km length in the second TOT bundle, forcing the NHAI
The construction of various fly-overs on the Delhi-Jaipur highway to abandon the plan. Cube Highways bagged the third bundle
will relieve traffic jams on the highway, it added. According to of 566 km for an upfront consideration of `5,011 crore. The fourth
the statement, with the construction of various major and minor bundle was annulled. The fifth bundle was in two tranches. One
bridges on NH-48, the adjoining areas will get rid of waterlogging was bought by Adani and the second was by DP Jain.
and the travel of the people will be smooth. The NHAI has drawn up a plan to monetise 21,700-km stretch in
the next three years, starting from 2022-23.
CREATION OF RECORD FOR HIGHEST QUANTITY OF
BITUMINOUS MIX LAID FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN WATER METRO: KOCHI METRO GEARS UP FOR FERRY
100 HOURS SERVICE
Nitin Gadkari said this incredible feat was achieved by PNC Public transport in Kochi will soon get a boost from swift electric
Infratech Ltd at the construction of 8-Lane access-controlled boats that offer modern amenities, with passengers boarding
expressway starting from junction with NH-47 near Bhamiya them from jetties that compete with Metro railway stations in
village and ending at junction with SH-175. Union Minister for infrastructure facilities.
Road Transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in a series of tweets A `819-crore project of the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), the
informed that longest length of flexible pavement (DBM Course) Kochi Water Metro will be an integrated water transport system
road construction in 100 Hours was awarded to PNC Infratech Ltd. connecting 10 islands that surround the mainland of Kochi city.
Adding one more jewel to the crown of records, India Book of A network of 15 routes that span 76 km will be served by a fleet
Records have awarded certificates in respect of creation of record of 78 fast, electrically propelled hybrid ferries plying to and from
for Highest Quantity of Bituminous Mix laid for road construction 38 jetties.
in 100 hours. Trial runs on a 50-seater air-conditioned electric boat began in
January 2022, with services expected to start in August this year.
NHAI TO GARNER `2,400 CRORE AS SEKURA, PATH BAG The project aims to provide the people living on the islands with a
TOT STRETCHES reliable means of water transport, with a regular headway, using
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will soon get Rs canals that open into backwaters and the ocean. More than
2,400 crore as upfront payment from two operational highway 1,00,000 islanders are expected to avail the services.
stretches with combined length of 246 km as toll-operate-transfer A centralised control centre would monitor and control operations,
(TOT) proceeds. making the Kochi Water Metro the largest integrated water
Sources said as financial bids for the two TOT bundles were opened transport system in the world under a single command. The
Tuesday, Mumbai-based Sekura Roads have won the sixth bundle project also envisions the holistic development of the areas being
with a `1,107-crore bid and Indore-based Path Highways bagged connected by the waterways. KMRL aims to integrate the ferry,
the eighth by agreeing to pay `1,314 crore. Metro rail, bus, and feeder mode services as well as the non-
The TOT proceeds will be used to build newer highway stretches motorised modes of transport in due course, offering residents
and service debt. NHAI’s debt stood at `3.38 trillion as of integrated fares and timetables.
November-end last year. The government has recently decided It intends to introduce energy-efficient, environment-friendly, and
not to disclose the reserve price for the TOT bundles, leaving it safe boats with low wake and draft characteristics. The catamaran
to the market to discover the price. Under the TOT model, the boats will be made of aluminium and their low wake will allow
operator collects user fee on the stretches following the prescribed them to negotiate narrow channels even at high speed. Their
rates by the NHAI to recoup their investments; but the operator has batteries will get charged in
to operate and maintain the stretches during the entire concession 10 to 15 minutes from superchargers installed on floating pontoon
period, which varies between 15-30 years. jetties at select locations. The air-conditioned boats will ensure
There were seven firms in the fray for the sixth bundle that includes comfortable travel with wide windows affording exotic views.
32.8 km, four-lane Agra bypass and 75.3 Km four-lane Shivpuri- The water metro is a green project in terms of both efficient usage
Jhansi stretch on NH7, located in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya of electricity as well as its plan to go solar. The biggest hindrance
Pradesh. The eighth bundle consisted of the 138-km Rewadi Khela to going electric in water transport was the size of the battery

52 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|APRIL 2022