Centre speeds up Rs.7,060-cr NH projects

Placing as many as six National Highway projects involving the widening of stretches for Rs.7,060 crore in Karnataka, the Transport ministry has placed these road ventures on fast track of development. The NHAI is implementing these projects under build-operate-transfer mode in different parts of the state, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Mansukh L Mandaviya said in a statement, adding that 92% of the four-laning works of the Suratkal-Kundapur section of NH-17 has been completed and the remaining work will be completed by the end of June. Around 70% of the four-laning work of a section of NH-66 from the Goa-Karnataka border to Kundapur is nearing completion and the remaining work is to be completed shortly. Similarly, the four laning work of the NH-9 section from the Maharashtra-Karnataka border to Sangareddy is expected to be completed in the next couple of months. Due to slow progress of work on NH-207 between Hoskote and Dobbspet, NHAI issued a notice for termination of the concession agreement on May 18, 2016 and the project is kept in abeyance on the request of the lead banker and concessionaire but now the government going all out to resolve the problem and work will start as quickly as possible, he claimed.