Delhi-Amritsar NH to complete by May

Kapurthala, November 30

The 470 km Delhi-Amritsar National Highway-I will be completed by May 15 next year as the contractor has started the construction work on the remaining portion of the highway, National Highways Authority of India Member Finance Satish Chandra said.

Chandra is on a two-day visit to monitor the progress of work on the 20 km stretch of the NH-1 from Bidhipur Railway crossing to Dhilwan and Amritsar-Pathankot National Highway.

Speaking about the National Highways network in Punjab, Chandra said: "Construction work on the Dera Bassi flyover has started and is expected to cost Rs 130 crore. The work on the six km stretch of Ludhiana-Ferozepur road has also been initiated and the remaining 6 km stretch between Ludhiana-Chandigarh would be completed by February 15 next year."

Replying to a question about the four-laning work of the Ludhiana-Moga-Ferozepur National Highway, which had been abandoned by a private construction company, Chandra said the company has agreed to restore the work soon.

He said the network of national highways in Punjab would be complete with the conclusion of four-laning works of the Amrtisar-Ferozepur and Amritsar-Bathinda National Highways next year.

He said each district in the country would be connected to national highways with three roads and added that the state governments have been asked to submit their plans.

On the rising toll plaza charges, Chandra said the rates would decline to 40 per cent in 2023 as the contractors would realise cost of construction by then and afterwards toll rates would remain at 40 per cent for the maintenance of the highways in the country.

He said the NHAI had recently taken a decision that no contractor would be allowed to impose toll taxes on the highways till the completion of its construction work.

Chandra said 8,000 km of national highways would be completed by March 2015 and the remaining 12,000 km by 2017. - PTI