Tenders put Expressway on the road, at last

However, the board of directors of MSRDC deferred awarding the contract for section D, the road connecting Ozarde and Dehuroad, costing Rs 132.70 crore.

Quoted at a price 15 per cent below the standard rate, the tender has been forwarded to the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) to assess its economic viability. ICICI will submit its report to the state government within a week. The three companies have been given a two-year deadline to complete the assignment, failing which the defaulter will have to cough up a fine of Rs 30 lakh per delayed week. However, if a company completes the project within two years, the government will award a bonus of Rs 20 lakh per week saved to the company.

The government has also entered into an agreement with the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) for Rs 100 crore, according to which KRCL will construct all the tunnels on the expressway. A total of 70,000 trees will be planted along the six lane-divided expressway under the guidance of the forest department and field experts. Trees which have to be cut down will be replanted elsewhere under the supervision of a senior forest department officer deputed for this purpose. A compund wall will be constructed along the expressway to prohibit interception by people, thus helping commuters to drive at a speed as high as 120 kms per hour.