The state government plans to develop three expressways on the public-private partnership model.
Punjab is set to boost its road infrastructure by giving impetus to private sector participation. The state government has embarked upon an ambitious programme for development and implementation of strategic infrastructure to boost the economy of the state.
As budgetary sources are inadequate to provide the requisite investments, the government gave impetus to the private sector participation.
The government plans to develop three expressways on the public-private partnership (PPP) model which is likely to attract an investment of Rs 13,400 crore, besides ring roads, roads, high-level bridges, among others.
The government also plans to develop three expressways including the Mohali-Phagwara expressways with an estimated investment of Rs 2,500 crore, an expressway around Mohali (Mohali-Banur-Baddi) with an estimated cost of Rs 23,00 crore and Pathankot-Ajmer expressway (about Rs 8,600 crore).
Besides, the government has plans to develop two ring roads in Amritsar City and Ludhiana City, using the PPP model, with an estimated investment of Rs 1,600 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, respectively.
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Also, the state has plans to develop six road projects with an estimated cost of Rs 320 crore. On the other hand, it is also in process of strengthening and upgrading State Highways and District Roads which was being given a major impetus as part of the state government’s Rs 1,500-crore road sector project.
The state government’s initiative entails a paradigm shift from mere improvement of roads to using contemporary technologies in road construction along with built-in maintenance contracts.
Another major network in this project is the widening (including 9-km four-laning) of 40 km Kharar-Banur-Tepla road. The work would entail the widening of this important artery which effectively serves as a bypass to Chandigarh and Mohali towns and provides direct linkage between Ambala and Ropar. The Rs 109-crore project is likely to be completed next year.
Other important road corridors included Kapurthala-Tarn Taran-Attari-Chabal Road (88 km); Phillaur-Nagar-Aur-Rahon Road (33 km); Ferozepur-Zira-Dharamkot Road (60 km) and Chandigarh-Sirhind-Patiala Road (65 km).
Under the second phase of this ambitious project, network management of about 600 km roads will be taken under Output & Performance Based Road Contracting (OPRC).
This marks the introduction of a new form of contracting in which payments to the contractor shall be made based upon the performance of the road instead of the quantity of work executed.