Indian Road Development

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Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

The road that Hindu was referring to was the NH bypass connecting NH4 to NH45 and not the ORR. It is an NHAI project with IJM-Satyam as the concessionaire. That should be inaugurated in the next week or so (last that I know, some minor work like road markings etc. was going on). ORR is a different project on a different alignmnet, though I am not completely convinced it would be viable once the full NH bypass is commissioned (only Phase I is being commissioned now).

At Rs. 45 cr. per km, Skybus would be cheapest elevated light rail anywhere in the world, if indeed the cost calculations are adhered to in practice. Current costs for elevated metro rail are Rs. 90 cr. a Km. The 22 Km Connaught Place-Dwarka elevated link that DMRC is proposing is estimated to cost about Rs. 3000 crores at current prices (it might involve some underground sections, particularly in and around CP that cost about Rs. 200 cr. a km). Infrastructure costs are high, but well worth the investment.
Vick
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Vick »

Business Standard

Users will be charged for highways under NHDP, says Khanduri (1600 hrs)

The government today said that users will have to pay for using all the four-lane national highways, by-passes and major bridges being constructed under the national highway development project (NHDP).

B.C. Khanduri, minister of state for road transport and highways, said: "We will start tolling all four-lane national highways, by-passes and bridges from 2002-03. Users will have to pay for using good quality road facilities."

He added that the four-laning of 5,846 kms of national highway connecting the four metros, which form the golden quardilateral part of the Rs 58,000 crore NHDP, would be completed by December 2003.

Construction contracts for all except a 93-km stretch for the GQ have been awarded, Khanduri said, adding that the remaining contracts would be awarded by June. (PTI)
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Victor »

Sorry if this has been discussed before but my search in archives did not turn up anything on "Trans Asia Highway". Likewise, the same did not show up in the right context in any of the search engines, including google. Very strange.

The great new Indian highways coming up are obviously extremely exciting and I can't wait to drive on them and sample the jazzed up (alas) dhabas along the way. Unfortunately, these highways don't mean a thing for the people of the Northeast, where we have an extremely minimal highway system. Talk of the Trans Asia Highway had perked people up some years ago. This was supposed to be a highway that would supposedly connect Ho Chi Minh City to Delhi via various Southeast Asian countries, entering India via Assam and other Northeastern states. It was thought that at last, the out-of-the-way Northeast could become the gateway to India and reap some real economic benefit.

Any news would be appreciated & thanks in advance.
Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

Victor:

Vick has linked an article about the Asian Highway about three or four posts before yours. I agree that the NE does not have a very good highway network. However, the first few stretches of the EW highway would be in the North East.

The 4-lane Guwahati bypass is currently under construction. The entire stretch from Siliguri to Guwahati would be four laned by around 2005-2006. The contracts for these would be put up for bidding before the end of this year. Of course, even after that, there would be a lot to be done, but at least the long lines of trucks would reduce in length if not vanish.

For the North East, highways mean a lot, since prices of most commodities are higher (often ridiculously so) due to higher transportation costs (that include costs due to militancy). A good road network can significantly reduce these costs (and shortages).
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Vick »

From Business Standard

Centre takes fancy to expressways

Press Trust of India in New Delhi

After launching the ambitious Rs 58,000 crore National Highway Development Project (NHDP) to connect the four corners of the country with four-lane highways, the government is now contemplating the construction of inter-city expressways.

"It is necessary to build expressway type facilities in segments where traffic levels are seen increasing in the next five to seven years," minister of state for road transport and highways, B C Khanduri, said. He said a modest target of 2,000 km during 10th Plan (2002-07) was being considered.

The expressways would be built on the principle of toll financing. An investment of Rs 2,000 crore would be required over a five year period to complete preliminary activities like land acquisition and project preparation, Khanduri explained.

The programme would need to be implemented jointly by the central and state governments with private sector participation, he felt.

He said no highway stretches have been identified for the project, which, for now, is only on the drawing board.

A working group report on roads identified expressways as an essential economic need that provides high speed and safe movement of industrial products and people. Expressways have been the engine of development in several countries.

The average daily productivity of a truck which is nearly 2000 tonne/km on congested two-lane road could improve to 3000 tonne/km on four-lane road, and to 6000 tonne/km on an expressway, the report said.

About 15,600-km of expressways would be needed in the country by 2020, the report added.

"It would be more prudent to think in terms of an expressway in segments where traffic levels in the next five to seven years are seen justifying a six-lane facility," the report said.

There should, however, be only one inter-city expressway network in the country, the working group said.

Expressways could be executed through public financing, public-private ventures with funds from the private sector (equity and debt) and financial support from the government, the report suggested.
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by ramana »

Ind Exp reports: PM’s plan for village roads takes IIT route
---------------------------
NEW DELHI, MARCH 20: The prime minister’s pet rural roads scheme has some unusual travelling companions — professors from the Indian Institutes of Technology, from Regional Engineering Colleges and other government institutions.

The Rural Development Ministry has handed over the responsibility of approving rural road construction proposals under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna to professors from 37 government engineering colleges across the country. Now, the engineering college professor is the bridge between the proposal and its implementation.

The year-old scheme, with an annual allocation of Rs 2,500 crore, hopes to connect all villages with a population above 500 by 2007. The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) in New Delhi, the principal technical agency in charge of screening the projects, delegated this task to engineering colleges in each of the states.

Each college nominates three professors — the significant colleges that are not part of the scheme are the IITs in Kanpur and New Delhi.

J S Sarma, joint secretary in charge of the project, explains how it works: proposals for building roads generated at the zilla panchayat level are sent to the state government.

After the state sanctions the project, it sends the details to the college concerned. The proposal is passed only after the college gives its approval; or else, it is sent back to the Public Works Department drawing board. Until last count in January 2002, projects proposals involving a length of 25,482 kilometres had been sanctioned in 32,784 habitations.

The ministry’s concern for quality prompted them to tap engineering colleges instead of relying on private contractors, says Sarma. ‘‘There is a perception that rural roads were never treated as engineering structures.

The quality of a road is determined by its design, which in turn is dependent on soil quality, rainfall and traffic density. Often, these factors are ignored. But vetting designs by a technical agency such as an engineering college would ensure quality.’’

Roping in professors doesn’t just give the ministry the quality advantage; it’s also cheaper on the pocket. Last year, the ministry paid the colleges Rs 25 lakh out of the Rs 2,500 crore allocation.

Private consulting agencies would have charged anything between three and six per cent of the total amount as commission. Even at three per cent, that’s a cool Rs 75 crore.................
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Vick »

PM's Quadrilateral gets off ground

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=4996105

Sridhar or anyone else that is knowledgeable, why is this stretch so noteworthy as compared to other stretches aside from the length?
Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

Vick:

Nothing, except that the PR firm for SREI International (a Calcutta based Finance company) has managed to get Mr. Mohanti to write about it :) Note the repeated mention of SREI (which is after all only a financier and not the largest financier - only the largest private sector financier).

No seriously, it is like the other stretches. It is under the annuity route, but contrary to the claims in the article, it is not the first project under that route of financing. The first was the Panagarh-Palsit section of the Delhi-Calcutta highway.

It is, however, one of the largest single packages if not the largest (depends on whether Jaipur-Kishangarh is 6 lane of 4 lane, I do not remember what was the final contract).
Rudra
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Rudra »

AP is the ideal for building road and rail. the
soils hard and rocky , less rainfall so no need
for high embankment.

*sigh* I am almost remembering my coming home
from college now and then ... kazipet->vijaywada->rajamundry->vizag->berhampur.

gotta make that pilgrimage again one day.

for any rec students on prowl, www.rec-all.com
is the super-portal for all RECs.
Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

The MSRDC website has been recently updated (http://www.msrdc.org). New information and new pictures on the site...
1. Details and pics for the recently inaugurated flyover at Lovegrove Junction (part of the Bandra Worli Sea Link project) (http://www.msrdc.org/projects/bandra-worli-sea-link/package-I.html)
2. new pictures and maps of the Mumbai-Pune expressway including the recently inaugurated Panvel Bypass (http://www.msrdc.org/projects/mumbai_pune.html)
3. Updates and new pics for the 50 flyovers project(http://www.msrdc.org/projects/50flyovers.html)
4. Updated page on the proposed MRTS project for Thane (http://www.msrdc.org/projects/mrts_thane.html)
Rudra
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Rudra »

soothing terracotta patterns _under_ the flyover.
I like that.

what next? traffic islands with small pools
well stocked with thong bikini clad beauties ?

:p
Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

This article about the proposed flyover at the Chennai airport again talks about an elevated rotary. I had posted a link about such a project under construction on the same road at the Chromepet junction. Pretty unusual to have rotary at the elevated level rather than at ground level and only Chennai seems to be planning them. Does anybody have more info on this project? paging jkarthik.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/stories/2002033007360300.htm
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by jkarthik »

OK, there is an elevated "rotary" flyover being planned (construction not begun yet, I checked out the airport yesterday) at Chennai Airport, on GST Road. Dunno how each link will work, but the idea is :
1. To ensure smooth entry into and exit from Chennai airport terminals (esp after the expansion).
2. To take traffic across the railtrack and tirusulam station to the other side (to some local roads, from GST road)
3. To provide smooth entry into and exit out of tirusulam station

Also part of the plan is a passenger walkway from the Chennai airport to tirusulam station, the lack of which I've been bawling about on this thread for aeons now! I think this walkway is an underpass.Will dig up more details soon!
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Vivek K »

Does anyone know :
a) If India employs Pavement Management systems for highways / airport pavements ( Using NDT/Visual Distress methods etc.)
b) The average lifespan for Asphalt / PCC roads in India

Thanks.
Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

A writeup on the new East Coast Road from Chennai to Pondicherry

http://www.chennaibest.com/discoverchennai/citylifestyle/ecr.asp
Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway project takes off : concession agreement signed
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=7245463

Not much new in this news except details of proposed tolls and where the toll plazas would be located.

This would be the second intra-city expressway in India after the Bandra-Worli sea link project (that would be inaugurated in 2004).
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Anurag »

You mean third, the Delhi-Noida is the first one!
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Anurag »

Does anyone have any updates on the Noida-Greater Noida expressway stretch that is to be completed by the middle of this year. Havn't heard anything on that as yet, although the web site does mention Mid 2002.
Comments welcome!
Cheers,
Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

Yes, third, though technically, Delhi-Noida is intercity. Delhi Gurgaon is not since it would be an expressway between Dhaula Kuan and the airport, both of which are within city limits.

But yes, Noida is almost a part of Delhi. Hence this qualifies.
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Anurag »

Sridhar, The Delhi-Gurgaon also qualifies, because the expressway goes into Gurgaon(Haryana, technically speaking is an Inter-State too), beyond the airport, so it is an inter-city expressway and an intra-city as well!
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Rudra »

sridhar the gurgaon highway will upto the western
end of gurgaon, there are many new sectors (HUDA)
and private colonies coming up there. so about
20km will be inside haryana - all sectors of
DLF qutub enclaves can use this. very well-heeled
gentry inhabit these parts.
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Anurag »

Rudra, Do you have any news on the Noida-Greater Noida stretch of the ExWay?
Sridhar
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

Anurag:

Was just trying to cover up my own error in not remembering the DND flyway :) I agreed with you that the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway would be the third.

Yes, I know that most of the Delhi-Gurgaon highway would be in Gurgaon, I was only saying that it is intra-city as well, in addition to inter-city since a significant number of people would travel to the airport. Only a small technical point.

Actually, I can tell you the exact alignment, the locations of the interchanges and other technical parameters of that expressway if you want :) So, I guess I should know that it goes beyond the airport.
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

Anurag:

Last that I knew, the NOIDA-Greater NOIDA expressway should be commissioned by this June. However, it would not be a true expressway of the DND/Delhi-Gurgaon/Bandra-Worli variety, since it would not be access controlled. It would be a somewhat better version of Bangalore's outer ring road.
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Anurag »

You're kidding, it's not access controlled!!!!
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Anurag »

Originally posted by Sridhar:
Anurag:

Was just trying to cover up my own error in not remembering the DND flyway :) I agreed with you that the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway would be the third.

Yes, I know that most of the Delhi-Gurgaon highway would be in Gurgaon, I was only saying that it is intra-city as well, in addition to inter-city since a significant number of people would travel to the airport. Only a small technical point.

Actually, I can tell you the exact alignment, the locations of the interchanges and other technical parameters of that expressway if you want :) So, I guess I should know that it goes beyond the airport.
But I believe it's mainly to help reduce the Delhi gurgaon traffic. Just met someone recently who come over from Delhi. He says the Delhi-Gurgaon traffic snarls are so bad, that they might have to implement the ExWay project before '05!
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

The reason is that almost till the domestic airport, it is a six lane road, while it has only four lanes after that. Thus, the congestion from the domestic airport onwards does not entirely reflect the traffic pattern. Also, till the domestic airport, there are no shops on the sides and no local, slow moving traffic to cause congestion. Right after the domestic terminal, that starts.

In the expressway plan, there would be an eight lane road till the airport and six lanes after that. In addition there would be service lanes to segregate local traffic. Thus, there would be substantial reduction in congestion.

Any news on the Kundli-Ghaziabad (semi-)circular expressway (the third ring road)? That would take a major proportion of the truck traffic out of the two ring roads at night. It would have a significant impact on the levels of pollution in the city.
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Rudra »

if you go at night, NH8 in the airport area is
a solid wall of trucks. its like that all night
long...the wheels of commerce and all that.

acess control - needs mucho moolah for service
roads and interchanges. if this road is towards
NEEPZ there isnt much traffic to justify it at
present. wtf actually is after NEEPZ - dadri gaon?

the third ring road- I heard yesterday land acquiring had started so surveys and alignment must be over. it will be good to decongest the
ring roads of all haryana-UP, punjab-UP truck
traffic. (the guy who told me had downed a peg
or two so use your own weighing factor here..)
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Sridhar »

This article has some info on the third (semi-)ring road around Delhi.
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Post by Sridhar »

India's longest flyover, the JJ Hospital flyover in Mumbai to be inaugurated on May 1. It is actually more an elevated road than a flyover, crossing 6 congested intersections and a total of 13 signals, for a total length of 2.4 Km. The Raja Garden flyover in Delhi is also the same length and its first phase has already been inaugurated.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=8094592

Here's a photograph of the flyover from some time ago.
http://www.gammonindia.com/html/images/jj-big.jpg
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Krishna »

Quadrilateral project ahead of schedule'

From the above link

Each km of the 13,000-odd NHDP, he said, needs 1,700 tonnes of cement and 100 tonnes of steel and creates 20-crore mandays which will give a big boost to the construction sector.

Are these figures really true or are they sloppy reporting by the DDM ?

Krishna
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Vick »

Phase I of Golden Quad to be completed soon

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=8900868
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by sandy »

This is an wonderful article showing how the ABV's dream High way projects helping boosting other sectors specially various diners along the beatiful sprawling Highways-

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_Id=9427485
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Post by Vick »

Ministry to get Cabinet clearance for NHDP Phase-II

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=9979334

Quote:
The Golden Quardilateral, which was scheduled for completion by December 2003, would be ready by the first half of 2004, sources said, adding the time overrun was on account of delays in construction in Gujarat, Bihar and West Bengal on account of law and order problems.

Why am I not surprised that it is these states holding up the project? Especially Bihar and WB, always lame horses on the race track.
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Vick »

From Business Standard, they don't keep archives

Road cess may be indexed to inflation

Gaurav Raghuvanshi & Anil Sasi in New Delhi

The government may index the proposed additional road cess to the inflation rate for part funding the second phase of the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP). This will factor in the variations in the prices of petroleum products in the new deregulated regime.

The proposal will be a part of the ministry of road transport and highways’ request for clearance of the second phase of NHDP (the Rs 30,000 crore North-South and East-West corridors) to be put before the Public Investment Board (PIB) in September this year.

“With the dismantling of the administered price mechanism, there are fears that there will be more frequent changes in the prices of petroleum products. Since the consumption of these products has a direct bearing on the roads sector, the ministry believes that the proposed cess should be indexed to inflation to ensure more equitable cash flows to the highways programme,” a government official said.

The government had imposed a Re 1 per litre cess on both petrol and diesel to part finance the first phase of the NHDP programme. The highways programme received Rs 2,100 crore from the cess in the last financial year. The cess, however, was not linked to the wholesale price index (WPI).

The government was of the opinion that it would need an additional cess of about 30 paise per litre of petrol and diesel to meet the shortfall in financing the 6,000 km corridors.

The proposed cess, along with bond instruments, is expected to contribute Rs 2,000 crore annually for the programme, he said. The exact formula for the indexed cess is still being worked out, but the levy would be benchmarked to the rate of inflation at a particular date, the official said. If the rate of inflation exceeded the benchmark level, the cess would correspondingly rise, he added.
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Post by Vick »

From Business Standard, they don't keep archives

National highway project exceeds BOT target

Our Economy Bureau in New Delhi

The Rs 54,000-crore National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) has generated an enthusiastic response from private players with the projects under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) route twice exceeding the government targets.

Against a target of executing projects worth Rs 1,690 crore through the BOT route in the first phase of NHDP, the government has tied up contracts worth Rs 3,300 crore, according to the ministry of road transport and highways.

“We had feared that the BOT route would not generate much interest among the private players as the onus of getting returns lay with the operator. The annuity scheme was seen as a more lucrative option for the private players. But even the BOT scheme has far exceeded our expectations,” a senior official said after a review meeting of NHDP at the Planning Commission today.

The first phase of NHDP, which involves four/six-laning of the 5700-km Golden Quadrilateral connecting the four metropolitan cities at a cost of Rs 30,300 crore, was progressing at a satisfactory pace, the commission was informed.

Other than a couple of stretches involving 84 km, the contracts for the entire Golden Quadrilateral had already been awarded.

There were, however, some problems regarding land acquisition and environmental clearances in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa, the ministry of road transport and highways said in its presentation. Planning Commission deputy chairman KC Pant said he would take up the issue with the state governments.
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by sandy »

Hai Sridhar Nice picture.Do you have any idea why the Indian flyovers are built not so high above the ground? In the West those flyovers runs through the city are built higher elevation way above so that it does not have the impact of wayside residencial houses and also it looks quite clean and well lighted at the bottom. I have seen few flyover in calcutta, specially, those ran through the city have the same problem-it really ruins the wayside residnstial and shops
complexes.

regds-

bikram
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Re: Indian Road Development

Post by Raja Ram »

bikram:

One reason could be that the gradient for flyovers have to be gentle as the underpowered autorickshaws and two wheelers cannot negotiate very steep gradients. The other reason is that usually the state owned buses are badly maintained and have problems negotiating steep gradients especially when they are overloaded which is the norm.

Often there is not enough space to gradually go up to the regular height that is the norm in other countries.
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Post by Vick »

Builders now keen on keeping roads furnished

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=11095753
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