Overbridge at Chhani

VADODARA, March 14: State Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel on Sunday announced that work on the ambitious Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway, wh...

VADODARA, March 14: State Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel on Sunday announced that work on the ambitious Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway, which has been embroiled in controversy for over eight years, would begin soon. Widening of the roads from Ahmedabad to Mehsana and Rajkot, would also be taken up, he said.

After inaugurating the four-lane work of the 32-km Vadodara-Haalol Road linking Panchmahals district and Madhya Pradesh, the Chief Minister said the road sector was on priority list of the State Government and formed a significant part of the Rs. 1,20,000-crore Vision 2010 infrastructure plan.

Road and Buildings Minister Ashok Bhatt had good news for Vadodara. He said the Chhani underbridge, which gets waterlogged every monsoon and almost cuts Vadodara into half, would soon be replaced by an overbridge at an expense of Rs 18 crore, while the much-sought Savli-Sunderpura bridge joining Vadodara with Kheda would get operational from June.

Patel said it was unfortunate that the road sector had not been given its due attention over the past few decades in the State, and cited the case of the Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway which remains incomplete after spending Rs 148 crore. 8220;And the cost must have risen by at least two and a half times,8221; he said.

Patel said the first phase of the expressway would begin soon on Ahmedabad to Nadiad sector. Various parties had already filled in their bids and the tenders were being scrutinised.

Without specifying when, the Chief Minister said the Ahmedabad-Rajkot road, 8220;where accidents must have killed thousands around Limbdi,8221; would soon be made four-lane along with the Ahmedabad-Mehsana road on Build-Operate-Transfer BOT basis. For Ahmedabad-Rajkot, certain section would be done by the Union Government, some 30 km of road had already been four-laned, while the rest 170 km would be constructed on BOT basis, he said.

Bhatt said work would also be initiated soon to widen the Vatrak bridge near Kheda which often caused traffic jams for hours. To be done on BOT basis, it would cost about Rs. 40 crore to Rs. 45 crore, he said. Industries Minister Suresh Mehta said some eight to nine infrastructure sector had been identified by the State Government for development under the Vision 2010 plan. He said a proper transportation link was vital if the State had to make rapid industrial growth.

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Giving details about the four-laning of the Vadodara-Haalol Road, which cuts off from national highway number eight near Golden Chowkdi at Vadodara and leads to Panchmahals and Madhya Pradesh, Roads and Buildings Secretary H.P. Jamdar said besides being built on BOT basis, this road makes a significant beginning.

He said this would be completed in 18 months. The State has floated the Gujarat Toll Road Company Limited, which would also bear part of the cost of the private party constructing the road on a BOT basis. He hoped this would encourage the private sector to invest in road sector since with the Government chipping in with the part of the money it would be easier for them to recover their costs before the project was handed over to the government.