Essel Infra to build two key Rs 4,000 crore BOT road projects

Essel Infraprojects Ltd, part of Essel Group, will build two build-operate-transfer (BOT) road projects -- Mukarba Chowk Panipat Toll Road and Kundli Manesar Expressway -- in north India. The two projects would hugely help in decongesting Delhi and easing traffic flow on roads connecting six major states with the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for both the projects at a ceremony held on Thursday at Rajiv Gandhi Education City in Rai of Sonipat in Harayna.

Ashok Agarwal, CEO, Essel Infraprojects, said the two projects will provide convenience to travellers while also help in cutting unnecessary travel time, decongest traffic and strengthen the path of development. "Due to a heavy load of urban traffic in Delhi, long distance vehicles always face several issues, including high travel time, reduction in fuel efficiency and pollution. As a solution, the Supreme Court has suggested developing the Western Peripheral Expressway, that is, the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Section. The stretch we are developing is part of it," said Agarwal.

Both the projects will boast of state-of-the-art facilities like guard rails, footpath, lighting, landscaping, way-side amenities, ambulance services, highway patrolling system and medical aid post.

The Rs 2,128 crore Mukarba Chowk Panipat Toll Road Ltd (National Highway No 1) project will involve widening of the road connecting Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Western Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

To cope with the heavy flow of traffic, the highway is proposed to be eight-laned with two-lane service roads on each side. Essel Infraprojects had bid for the project in March 2015 and the Letter of Award was given on July 24, 2015.

The Kundli Manesar Expressway Ltd is Rs 1,863 crore project and will be a six-lane access controlled bypass for traffic for Delhi from the western side. Currently, vehicles enroute to Delhi from the West and headed towards North need to traverse through Delhi causing congestion and traffic jams in the city. Vehicles travelling long distance are the worst affected also causing severe pollution issues. The project was bid by Essel Infraprojects Ltd in May 2015 and the Letter of Award was given on July 31, 2015.

The 69.90 km Mukarba Chowk Panipat Toll Road will help save about 30 minutes of travel time from current 120 minutes in heavy traffic. The 83.320 km Kundli- Manesar Expressway Ltd too will be a boon for travellers going to the North because they will not have to enter Delhi and a vehicle will be able to cover the project stretch in an hour's time since it will be access-controlled.

The Mukarba Chowk road, according to Agarwal, will benefit real estate development tremendously between Delhi and Sonipat, HSIIDC industrial parks and factories and the NCR Region as a whole. "The Kundli Manesar Expressway will ensure that Delhi is decongested, and traffic flow in the city will become smooth as the proposed project will be access-controlled. Both the projects will be completed in about 2.5 years," he said.