KMP Expressway project race hots up in Haryana

With the Haryana government likely to finalise the financial bids for the Rs 2,000 crore Western Periphery Expressway project within a month, the race to bag the contract has intensified.

The expressway will link Kundli with Manesar and Palwal towns of Haryana. The 135-km-long expressway project will be constructed on the "build-operate-transfer" (BOT) basis.

Five construction majors, including Larsen & Toubro Ltd, IL&FS and Gammon India, have evinced interest and have thrown their hats in the race to bag the expressway project.

"The construction majors which have submitted their financial bids for constructing the expressway includes Larsen & Toubro Ltd, IL&FS, Gammon India, DS Group and the Malaysia-based IJM Corporation," said Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HIDC) Managing Director Rajiv Arora in Mumbai on Sunday.

This Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway will connect National Highways 1, 10, 8 and 2. According to Arora, the state government is evaluating the financial bids and will shortlist the bidders in a month. The successful bidder would be allowed three years to complete construction of the expressway, he said.

"Land for the first phase of the project has already been acquired. The process for the acquisition of land for the second phase of the project will be initiated soon," he said.

Arora was visiting Mumbai as part of a high-level investment promotion delegation led by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Arora said the KMP Expressway would be supplemented by creating the metro extension up to Gurgaon to improve connectivity with the national capital.

"The new expressway will not only improve connectivity with the national Capital, but will also become a new economic corridor," the HSIDC managing director said.

The HSIDC is also developing a special economic zone on 3,000 acres of land at the cost of Rs 2,050 crore near Garhi Harsaru in the Gurgaon district of the state.

"Over 2,400 units will be set up in this special economic zone and will provide direct employment to more than 60,000 people," he said.