Fresh delay, higher costs hit NH-105 four-laning project

The four-laning of the crucial Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh National Highway (NH-105) has hit yet another roadblock, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) extending the bid submission deadline for the third time. The new date, December 11, pushes the project further into uncertainty at a time when the industrial belt it serves is already grappling with daily traffic chaos.

Adding to the setback is a steep rise in the project’s estimated cost. The tender, originally floated at Rs 556 crore, has now been revised to Rs 655 crore, an increase of Rs 99 crore. Officials attribute the escalation to additional works that were not part of the earlier scope. These include major junction improvements using reinforced earth walls, construction of lined drains instead of unlined ones, and installation of chute drains across all embankment heights.

In a bid to bolster road safety, the revised plan also incorporates a significantly higher number of bollards, upright posts that act as barriers for managing traffic and safeguarding pedestrians, and thrie-beam crash barriers, a three-wave steel system widely used on highways for roadside protection. “These critical safety interventions have been added to the original tender,” confirmed NHAI Project Director Anand Dahiya.

The bidding process has already seen two postponements, from November 17 to November 27, and the latest extension means several more months will be consumed in technical and financial evaluation before work can resume.

The project has been languishing since the Gujarat-based Patel Infrastructure Limited abandoned it midway after completing only about 45% of the work over 39 months. Despite evident deficiencies and poor-quality execution, the NHAI was unable to impose penalties due to legal constraints, according to officials.

Launched in April 2022, the highway was supposed to be ready by September 2024. Several deadline extensions later, only delays and rising costs have accumulated. So far, Rs 774.78 crore has been spent, Rs 305 crore on land acquisition and Rs 469 crore on construction.

Meanwhile, the half-done highway continues to choke under the pressure of over 20,000 vehicles that ply daily through the state’s busiest industrial corridor. The narrow, disrupted road has become a daily ordeal for commuters and industries across Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh, which together account for more than 90% of Himachal Pradesh’s industrial activity.

Of the 34.5-km stretch, 17.37 km falls within Himachal Pradesh, while the remainder lies in Haryana.

A highway stuck between deadlines and demand

• The Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh stretch is more than a road. It is the arterial lifeline of Himachal's industrial powerhouse. Yet, despite its importance, the project remains mired in delays, contractor failures and ballooning costs
• Every missed deadline directly affects thousands of commuters and a bustling manufacturing sector that depends on smooth logistics
• With traffic swelling past 20,000 vehicles a day, the unfinished highway has become a bottleneck that the region can no longer afford. The latest tender revision offers hope, but the real test will be timely execution without further setbacks