NHAI plans upgrade to national highways

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has recently signed four agreements to develop and widen four national highways at a total cost of Rs5, 069 crore.

The first agreement is for the Pune-Solapur Expressway and involves four-laning this 110km section of NH9in Maharashtra.

The second project will be undertaken by Soma Isolux Kishangarh Beawar Tollway, and involves six-laning the 93km Kishangarh-Beawar section of NH8.

The third project, to be undertaken by Soma Isolux Consortium, involves widening the 133km Gujarat-Maharashtra Border near Surat and Hazira Port. The fourth project, to be undertaken by Chennai Elevated Tollway, a company promoted by Soma Enterprises, involves the construction of a 19kms long, four-lane, elevated road, from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal on the NH4 in Tamil Nadu.

All the projects will be implemented on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis.

They will also be eligible to access credit from banks, part of which will be refinanced by India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd. They will also be able to levy toll charges according to the new toll policy finalised in 2008, which allows for higher toll charges for bridges and related structures.