The work for development of the Western Peripheral Expressway, which is also known as Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway has started in Haryana.
A spokesperson of the State Government said that this expressway links four NHs numbered 1, 10, 8 and 2 running through Sonepat, Jhajjar, Gurgaon, Mewat and Palwal.
Revival of this project would eventually ease traffic congestion of the NCR and also provide high speed link to northern Haryana with its southern districts like Gurgaon, Faridabad and Palwal.
Keeping in view the increase in traffic, the State Government had decided to construct the expressway of 6-lane instead of 4-lane as decided earlier.
In pursuance to the orders of the Supreme Court on January 30, 2015, Haryana Government had taken the decision to terminate the contract of existing concessioner and decided to have a new concessionaire, in order to ensure time bound completion of the project.
HSIIDC has allotted the work for Manesar-Palwal Section (km 83.320 to km 135.650) in March. The works have been started on ground from April 28.04.2015 and this part of expressway having 52.33 km length will be completed in nine months time as per provision of the agreement, informed the spokesperson.
Simultaneously, tender for remaining part of Expressway i.e. Kundli-Manesar Section have been invited on BOT (Annuity) Mode and the work for this section is likely to be allotted in June 2015.
Initially, this project was started in year 2006 and was to be developed on Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis. The concession agreement was signed with KMP Expressway ltd. As per the original time schedule, the project was to be completed in 2009.
However, the completion of the project could not be achieved and the project was virtually left abandoned by the concessionaire since last more than two years, he added.