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Funding from the Middle East looks set to help develop new Indian highway projects. Some $15.6 billion from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), a UAE-based sovereign wealth fund, will be directed towards highway projects in India. This will be used for 50 highway projects in India on a toll-operate-transfer (TOT) basis. The Indian Government is planning to award 104 highway projects under the TOT model that will allow investments by private equity firms, infrastructure developers and institutional in

The Indian Government has set out plans to award highway projects worth at least US$8.84 billion during the next fiscal year. These projects will be offered under the hybrid annuity model, according to a report in the Economic Times. KPMG has stated that some 21 projects for a total of 1,500km and worth close to a third of that sum will be granted by the Indian Government in the current fiscal year.

Egis is now working on a new contract for Vindhyachal Expressway Private Limited (VEPL) on India’s National Highway 7. The three year concession is for the 73km National Highway 7 (NH-7), which connects the main city of Rewa and Hanumana of the Indian federal state of Madhya Pradesh. Egis is in charge of toll collection, route patrolling and incident management and routine maintenance of a section of the stretch (40 km) with one toll plaza of 6 lanes.

India’s Ministry of Transport and Highways is looking to source loans to help fund highway development. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) looks set to provide a partial source for the funding required. In all just over US$885 million will be needed to pay for India’s National Highway Development Project (NHDP). The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has approved a loan of just over $590 million for the Indian Government-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corp (NH

The Indian Government has announced plans for major road projects in Bihar, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. A 222km road upgrade project will expand the National Highway 2 in Bihar and Jharkhand. The work is expected to cost around US$725.5 million and involves widening the route to six lanes, with three in either direction. The stretch of the NH – 2 planned for this upgrade will run from the Aurangabad Bihar/Jharkhand Border - Barwa Adda. Nine roads in the state of Tamil Nadu will be upgraded, with the work expe

The Indian Government is looking to upgrade its road links and also improve the condition of many road links right across the country, with a view to improving safety, as well as transportation. A series of infrastructure plans are being implemented, aimed at improving road conditions in the country. India’s Ministry for Road Transport and Highways is keen to improve road safety and reduce the fatality rate in the country. The Indian Government is establishing a Road Safety Authority that is being charged

India is continuing with its progress in expanding its highway network. During the present fiscal year, the total length of new highway construction in India is anticipated to exceed 6,000km. This figure will compare well with the 2012-13 period, in which construction reached 5,700km. By 2019, the plan is to achieve a peak of 30km/day, compared with the previous peak of 16km/day. Meanwhile the average construction is expected to top 17km/day. In all total highway construction has increased from 2014, with a

Financially delinquent contractors working on Indian projects will, from now on, find they are labelled a “non-performer” and barred from further work until they remedy their cash flow. The move by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is an attempt to speed up site work and complete public-private partnership road projects on time. Under the new policies, firms that delay construction or fail to inject their share of capital into their projects will be barred from participating in fresh bids un

The cost of building the Padma Bridge in Bangladesh will be nearly three times the US$2.61 billion estimated in 2011. Also on the rise is the cost of flood prevention work in the form of levee construction – called river training in Bangladesh. The addition of 1.3km of work at the Mawa end of the bridge means the total cost is now $1.2 billion, up from $1.1 billion. Apart from $200 from the $1 billion loan from India the project is not using any foreign financing, according to a report in the Daily S

IRF India, in association with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), will shortly launch two road safety initiatives - the First Aid Trauma Care Training, and Black Spot Removal Programme. First Aid Trauma Care Training – IRF India will shortly launch the Indoor Simulation for Road Incident Training Environment (ISRITE) programme for drivers of heavy commercial vehicles. The objective of this training is to provide accident victims appropriate trauma care at the site of the accident itself,

Major highway projects are seeing progress in India. The US$1.52 billion Zojila Pass tunnel project is being planned in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The project has been awarded to local road development firm IRB Infrastructure Developers (IRB). The 14.08km tunnel is expected to take seven years to complete. The concession for the project is for 22 years. As part of the deal, IRB will oversee the construction of 10.8km of approach roads on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri Road in Jammu and Kashmir.

Funding for new bridges that will improve transport links between Myanmar and neighbouring India will be provided by India. The funding will pay for the construction of 69 highway bridges across Myanmar. The work on the bridges is expected to be completed in the middle of 2019. The rebuilding of the Kalewa-Tamu-Kyigone route will cost some US$56 million and will improve transport and freight connectivity between both nations. The new road section will also be part of a proposed bus route between Mandalay, M

IRF Geneva, together with the Multi-lateral Development Banks (MDBs), and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) organised a side event called “Safe Infrastructure for All Users.” The side event provided information about various tools and ongoing initiatives under Pillar 2 “Safe roads and mobility” of the Decade of Action. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Transport of India, presided over a very well attended side event. Gadkari highlighted the importance of addressing the road safety of a

A motorcyclist in India found out exactly why it is advisable not to use a cellphone while topping up fuel at a filling station. The man stopped to fill the tank of his motorcycle, then rested the phone on the bike. A huge flame suddenly appeared, setting the rider and his bike alight. Luckily however an attendant was near at hand, quickly coming to the aid of the rider. The motorcyclist also had the good sense to move his bike away from the pumps, preventing the fire from spreading.

Two key highways in India’s Andhra Pradesh State are to be widened and upgraded. The projects are being handled by the Stage Government of Andhra Pradesh. The work to upgrade the Ibrahimpatnam-Tiruvuru highway to four lanes will cost US$219.63 million. The work to upgrade the Machilipatnam-Vijayawada highway into four lanes will cost $77.22 million. In addition, a flyover will be built as part of the Vijayawada highway expansion. An additional $67.15 million will be spent on buying land and building a flyov

Five road projects in India will benefit from funding provided by loans from Japan. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is to provide loans worth a total of US$738.65 million to fund five road projects. These will form part of the North East Connectivity project, which has been planned by the Indian Government. The work includes upgrade works to the northeast road network, while the Indian Government has also dedicated a portion of the funds to upgrade the Aizwal-Tuipand, NH-51, and NH-54 road

Strong interest has been reported in a major highway project in India. PNC Infratech, Sadbhav Infrastructure, Ashoka Buildcon, and APCO Infratech have all been bidding to win the Meerut-Bulandshahr highway project. This is worth some US$105 million and involves the construction of a 62km highway link. The project will be carried out under the hybrid annuity model (HAM), with the builder and Indian Government splitting the construction cost 60:40. Under the HAM model, the Indian Government also has plans for

The Government of India (GoI) committed to improving road safety. The 9th IRF Regional Conference, “Road Safety Initiatives: Status and the way forward", was held on 5–6 October, 2015, in New Delhi, India. Nitin Gadkari, union minister for Road Transport and Highways, inaugurated the conference that focused on UN’s five-pillar strategy for improving road safety. The financing of measures to improve road safety as well as its monitoring and evaluation were also part of the conference programme. The c

Global demand for asphalt is projected to expand 2.8%/year until 2019 and will reach 122.5 million tonnes. These gains will be driven by growth in China and other developing countries as they work to improve their transportation infrastructures. This report has been published by the US-based Freedonia Group.

East Africa’s ambitious road expansion programme is seeing the network expand significantly – Shem Oirere writes The East Africa countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda have announced ambitious road sector expansion plans in the 2015/16 financial year. This is despite their national budgets being weighed down by huge deficits and persisting lack of capacity to spend resources allocated to the sector in previous years. With the huge budget deficits, the countries will have to look for alternati