• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) issued a tender worth Rs 3,841 crore for the construction of a six-lane expressway from Agra to Gwalior, which will reduce the travel time between the two cities by more than half.  The tender for the construction of the 88.40-kilometre-long expressway will be opened on 23 February 2024.

The Agra-Gwalior expressway will be built on Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) model, in which the contractor will invest its own money and collect toll until the cost is recovered. NHAI will act as a guarantor for the financing of the project.

The project was earlier planned to be executed in three packages under Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), in which NHAI would pay the contractors and collect the toll itself. However, due to lack of interest from the companies, NHAI decided to combine the three packages into one and change the model to BOT.

ALSO READ: Shri Kalki Dham: PM Modi Lays Foundation Stone Of Temple In UP's Sambhal; Know All About Mandir For Lord Vishnu's 10th Avatar

The estimated cost of the project has also increased by more than Rs 1,343 crore, as the BOT mode involves additional expenses in the finance process and other paperwork. The earlier tender, issued in December 2023, had fixed the cost at Rs 2,500 crore.

''Tenders for Agra-Gwalior Greenfield Expressway have now been made on BOT basis instead of HAM. The increased cost is estimated as the study is still ongoing. Currently, the date for opening the tender has been scheduled for 23rd February,'' said Balbir Singh Yadav, General Manager Madhya Pradesh Division, NHAI.

ALSO READ: Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway To Be Linked With Bahadurgarh Bypass; Will Improve Connectivity In Six Haryana Districts

The expressway will have 47 culverts, four small and five big bridges, a rail overbridge, two flyovers and the biggest bridge on the Chambal River. It will also have two trumpets for the halt and refreshments of the passengers, with facilities like a toilet and restaurant on the side.

The current Agra-Gwalior Highway is four-lane and 121 km long. It passes through the populated areas of Morena and Dholpur, causing traffic jams. It takes two to two and a half hours to reach Gwalior from Agra. The expressway will cut down the distance by 33 km and the travel time by one hour.