Delhi firm bags Rs 190 cr NHAI road contract

Delhi-based DS Constructions Ltd, one of the leading infrastructure developers in the country, has bagged the Rs 190-crore Raipur-Aurang road project, which is part of the National Highway No 6 and falls in Chhattisgarh.

According to the contract signed with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), DS Constructions will widen the two-lane high traffic density corridor into a four-lane expressway within 36 months, that is by October 2008.

To complete the 42-km road project on a "build, operate and transfer" (BOT) basis, DS Constructions has set up a special purpose vehicle, Raipur Expressways Ltd, in association with Dubai-based Apollo Enterprises Ltd. It has already finalised funding arrangements worth Rs 160 crore with financial institutions for the project.

According to MS Narula, managing director of DS Constructions, this road project along with the Durg-Raipur Expressway, already being built by the company, will be the first high-speed urban expressway in Chhattisgarh linking Raipur with the surrounding industrial areas.

"Once complete, the road will improve connectivity, decongest traffic and ensure smooth cargo movement in the region," Narula said.

The improved trade routes would have a multiplier effect on the economy of the tribal-dominated Chhattisgarh, besides easing traffic on this stretch, said an NHAI official.

The project work includes improvement, operation and maintenance, rehabilitation and strengthening of the road. The agreement also involves a grant of Rs 7.60 crore (net project value discounted at 10 per cent) during a concession period of 25 years.

DS Constructions, a part of an international infrastructure conglomerate having operations in the US, Europe, West Asia, North Africa and South Asia, has executed several projects like the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and the Viramgam-Mahesana gauge conversion project, the first BOT project in the railways, the Raipur-Durg Expressway project, the first mega project in Chhattisgarh, and the World Bank-aided road projects in Uttar Pradesh.

The company is poised to become the leader in the infrastructure sector with completed projects worth Rs 3,500 crore in India," Narula said.

The company has been involved in construction activities ranging from roads and highways, power projects, urban infrastructure, pipeline and processing plants, water and waste management and marine infrastructure and environmental projects.

HIGHWAY TO CHHATTISGARH
Raipur-Aurang road project is part of the National Highway No 6

Two-lane corridor to be converted into a four-lane expressway in 36 months

Special purpose vehicle has been set up by DS Constructions in association with Dubai-based Apollo Enterprises