Some bidding action expected from NHAI in the coming fortnight  

May 7, 2010

 In line with the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) 20-km per day road development plan, the authority plans to open bids for another three road projects in the coming fortnight.

According to sources, NHAI plans to open bidding for three road projects for a total value of Rs6,000crore -Rs7,000 crore. These projects are not expected to be State-specific projects. They will be ventures for converting four-lane highways into six-lane highways.

Over the past few months, NHAI has been very active in awarding various road projects. According to NHAI data, around 44 road projects have been awarded in the financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10. In order to meet its 20-km per day target, the highways development authority will have to actively open bids and award a huge number of projects.

Moneylife had earlier reported on the road transport and the highway ministry’s plans to invite bids for road projects worth $20 billion to meet this ambitious road development target. At present, road development is progressing at the rate of around 10km per day.

A couple of the NHAI projects awarded in the last two months were the six-laning of the Tumkur-Chitradurga section in Karnataka to IRB Infrastructure and the four/two laning of 96.45km of the Rimuli-Roxy-Rajmunda Section of NH-215 in Orissa to MBL Infrastructure. IL&FS Transportation Networks was awarded a Rs25.19-billion order for four-laning of the Chennai to Nashri Section of NH-1A including a 9-km tunnel (two-lane) with a parallel escape tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir.

According to NHAI’s work plan for 2010- 11, request for quotations (RFQs) for around 10 projects are likely to be invited in May. These projects are from Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.— Amritha Pillay