In a bid to expand the highway network in the country, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved three highway projects with a total cost of Rs5,150 crore in Haryana, UP and Maharashtra. “The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared three important highway projects in Haryana, UP and Maharashtra — with the total length of more than 300 km and — an approximate cost of Rs5,150 crore,” said an official statement from the CCEA.
All the three projects are to be implemented on BOT (toll) model, with the private sector investing upfront to meet the capital cost, to be recovered through collection of toll during the concession period. The projects include widening and strengthening of the stretch between Mukarba Chowk and Panipat in Haryana on National Highway 1.
“The second project connecting Agra with Etawah on NH 2 will improve the connectivity in an otherwise infrastructure deficient area in Uttar Pradesh,” the statement said. This will help catalyse the economic development of the region, it said. The third project relates to development of 109 km stretch between Solapur and Bijapur in Maharashtra on NH 13 to be developed at a cost of about Rs 1,400 crore.