To suggest norms for NHAI’s future projects.
In a bid to achieve international standards in expressways, the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways has appointed a Japanese team of experts to study Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway, the first expressway stretch of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The team would suggest norms for the upcoming expressways in the country, including the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway.
"A team comprising Japanese government officials and experts is visiting Gujarat to study the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway. The team, which has been appointed by the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, will take the expressway as its base to suggest international norms that can be implemented by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in its future expressway projects," said a soure close to the development.
According to the source, the team will be visiting Gujarat frequently for the study which may span a period of 6-8 months. Among several expressway projects, the government body has identified a 400 km stretch from Vadodara to Mumbai for an expressway for Phase VI of its National Highways Development Projects (NHDP).
"In all we will be investing around Rs 14,000 crore for projects under Phase III, IV, V, VI and VII which are supposed to be completed by 2015. This investment will be additional to the current amount of Rs 4,000 crore that are being spent on ongoing projects," said VK Sharma, general manager (environment) of NHAI on his visit to promote projects in Gujarat.
Talking about the projects in Gujarat, Sharma said, "We are also thinking of having a Surat and Ahmedabad bypass under Phase VII since that phase is about decongesting city traffic by providing additional facilities. Also, construction on only 40-50 km is left under the 537 km long East-West corridor of Gujarat."
The ongoing projects worth Rs 4,000 crore include the East-West corridor, 485 km of Golden Quadrilateral in Gujarat and 56 km of port connectivity. Of the total 3295 km national highway network in Gujarat, NHAI has developed around 1,700 km so far, added Sharma.