Roads sector update: sections of Vadodara-Mumbai expressway project awarded
Expressway development has been a focus area for the government ever since the launch of the National Highways Development Programme. While Phase VI of the programme envisaged the development of 1,000 km of expressways, on-ground progress has been seen only in the past two-three years with the fast-tracked implementation of the Delhi-Meerut and Eastern Peripheral Expressways.
In October 2017, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Bharatmala Pariyojana, under which expressway projects with an aggregate length of 1,837 km are envisaged to be developed. Of these, 800 km of expressways will be implemented under Phase I of the programme for which an outlay of Rs 400 billion has been approved. As a result, expressway development has gained momentum and there are 10 projects at various stages of implementation. The long-pending Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway project too has finally inched forward.
The route
The 379 km Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway has been included in the list of expressways to be constructed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. The project is proposed to be implemented in three phases. Phase I has been further subdivided into two parts – Phase IA and Phase IB. Of the five packages being undertaken as part of Phase IA, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has awarded contracts for three packages in March 2018.
Approximately 3,444.85 hectares of land is required to undertake Phase I of the project. Of the total, 136.99 hectares is required in Maharashtra, 77.99 hectares in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and 3,229.87 hectares in Gujarat. Land acquisition for the project commenced in December 2017 and is still under progress.
The expressway starts at km 499 of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai national highway (NH-8) and ends at km 378.722 of the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway (National Expressway [NE]-1). Phase I of the project includes the construction of a 274.02 km stretch from km 104.7 (km 390.86 of NH-8) to km 378.72 (km 80 of NE-1), spanning 54.4 km in Vadodara, 62.5 km in Bharuch, 57.3 km in Surat, 37.6 km in Navsari and 48.6 km in Valsad (all in Gujarat), 5.5 km in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and 8.1 km in Palgarh district, Maharashtra.
Phase II of the project spans a total of 78.38 km extending from km 26.32 to km 104.7 in Thane district, Maharashtra. Further, Phase III of the project spans 26.32 km extending from km 0.00 to km 26.32, also in Thane district.
To know the current status of the project, read the full article on Indian Infrastructure magazine https://indianinfrastructure.com/2018/04/29/on-course/