E&Y in the race for post of project consultant

270-km project estimated at Rs 10,500 crore

Global advisory and consultancy firm Ernst & Young is in the race for consultancy of the proposed Rs 10,500-crore Agra-Lucknow Expressway project.

The eight-lane greenfield expressway, measuring 270 km, has been proposed on the minimum distance formula through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Two consortiums have applied for selection as its Project Development Consultant. The bidders are consortium of Feedback Infrastructure Services with Redecon (India) and consortium of Egis India Consulting Engineers with Ernst & Young.

Both bidders have made detailed technical presentation to the Consultant Evaluation Committee headed by UP Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC) Anil Kumar Gupta here yesterday.

UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) is the nodal agency for the project.

Meanwhile, UPEIDA CEO Mukul Singhal informed that evaluation of technical bids would be completed within a week and later financial bids would be opened for the final selection.

Eco-friendly parks shall be developed along the expressway for neutralizing air and noise pollution and maintaining ecological balance. To maintain greenery and abundant water supply, lakes and ponds would be developed on both sides of proposed expressway.

It would connect four industrial hubs viz. Glass City (Ferozabad), Pragati Nagar (Near Karhal/Saifai), Khushboo City (Near Kannauj) and Malihabad (food processing/packaging & marketing industry).

The expressway would begin from Agra ring road close to Yamuna Expressway; and passing through Fatehabad, Shikohabad, Saifai, NH-92 near Etawah, NH-91 near Kannauj, NH-25A near Malihabad and culminate at inner ring road in Lucknow.

Apart from cutting travel time between Lucknow-Agra to 3 hrs from the present 7 hours, the access-controlled expressway will help swift transportation of perishable produce of farmers to bigger markets and boost tourism as it will link to already functional Yamuna Expressway between Greater Noida and Agra.