The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday approved the bids for two ambitious expressway projects — Bundelkhand Expressway linking Bundelkhand with Delhi via Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Gorakhpur Link Expressway linking eastern UP with the national capital via Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

The financial bids for the two expressways were opened on October 25 and the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave its approval to them on Monday.

Government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh, who is state Khadi Minister, said both the expressways were expected to be completed within 36 months after the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the construction companies. He said if these companies completed their work in 30 months, they would get an incentive of 5 per cent. The minister said both the expressways would generate  60,000 additional jobs.

“Both the expressways would be constructed under EPC. The cost of the Bundelkhand Expressway would include Rs 7,786.81 crore for construction work and Rs 2202.38 crore for land acquisition. The total cost of Gorakhpur Link Expressway is  estimated at Rs 3,024.10 crore for construction work and Rs 1,563.90 crore for purchasing land,” Singh said.

He said the foundation stones of both the expressways would be laid very soon.

The Bundelkhand Expressway has been divided into six packages and 17 financial bids were received for the project. The lowest bid for the project was found to be 12.72 per cent less than the cost estimated by the UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority and this resulted in a net saving of Rs 1,131,74 crore.

The companies awarded the contract for the Bundelkhand Expressway are Apco Infratech Private Limited, Ashoka Buildcon Limited, Gawar Constructions Limited and Dilip Buildcon Limited.

Apco Infratech Private Ltd has been given packages one and two, Ashoka Buildcon Limited package three, Gawar Constructions Limited packages 4 and 5 and Dilip Buildcon Ltd given the sixth package.

The Bundelkhand Expressway will commence from Chitrakoot district near Bharatmilap and pass through Banda, Hamirpur, Jalaun and Auraiya to link with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Etawah. It will be a 4-lane expressway expandable to six lanes in future. The total length of the expressway will be 297 kilometres. With the completion of this expressway, Bundelkhand regions will be linked with the national capital, opening new avenues of development for the economically backward region.

Similarly, the Gorakhpur Link Expressway project has been divided into two packages and 12 bids were received for it.  The price quoted by the lowest bidder is 3.12 per cent less than the cost estimated by the UPEIDA, resulting in saving of Rs 97,44 crore. The total saving in both the projects is Rs 1,229 crore, Singh said.

Of the two packages of this expressway, the first one has been awarded to Apco Infratech Pvt Ltd and the second to Dilip Buildcon Ltd.

The Gorakhpur Link Expressway commencing from Gorakhpur will pass through Sant Kabir Nagar and Ambedkarnagar and link with the Purvanchal Expressway in Azamgarh district. This will also be a four-lane expressway expandable to six lanes. The length of the link expressway is estimated to be 91,35 km.