Six laning Project of NH 5 approved in Andhra Pradesh

By Accommodation Times (www.accommodationtimes.com)

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure today approved the implementation of the project of six laning of Vijaywada –Gundugolanu section of NH 5 in Andhra Pradesh under NHDP Phase V on DBFOT basis in BOT (Toll) mode of delivery.
The total project cost estimated will be Rs.2011 crore out of which Rs.327 crore will be for the land acquisition, rehabilitation, resettlement and pre-construction. The total length of the project will be 103.590 kms. Project, on completion, will reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between Vijayawada – Gundugolanu. It will also increase the employment potential for the local labourers for the project activities.
The main objective of the project is to expedite the improvement of infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh, increase the capacity of Golden Quadrilateral corridor and also to reduce the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between Vijayawada- Gundugalanu. The National Highway No.5 is an important link connecting Kolkata to Chennai, which is part of the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor. This will facilitate road users, particularly traffic on Chennai-Kolkata section of Golden Quadrilateral passing through Guntur, Krishna and West Godavari districts and Chennai- Hyderabad and Kolkata – Hyderabad section.
The project is covered in the districts of Guntur, Krishna and West Godavari in Andhra Pradesh.
However, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in the meeting held in October 2006 approved six laning of 6500 km of four-lane National Highway comprising 5700 km of Golden Quadrilateral and 800 km of other sections at a cost of Rs.51,210 crore under NHDP Phase V. Of the total investment required, Rs.35,692 crore is expected to come from private sector and the balance Rs.5,518 crore from Government funding for bridging the viability gap and for the cost of land acquisition, utility shifting, consultancy etc. The average cost per km after acceptance of the recommendations of B.K. Chaturvedi Committee by the Government is now Rs.10 crore /km for NHDP Phase-V projects.