Govt okays four-laning of highways for Rs 1,595 cr in HP, UP

The government today approved two road projects totalling Rs 1,595 crore for the development of certain stretches of National Highways (NH) in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure sanctioned four-laning of Parwanoo-Solan section of the NH 22 in Himachal at an estimated cost of Rs 549 crore.

It also approved four-laning of Bareily-Sitapur section of NH 24 in Uttar Pradesh at about Rs 1,046 crore.

Both the projects, forming part of National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-III, would be given out on design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) basis, according to an official statement.

The concessionaires for both the projects will make expenditure to complete four-laning and will recover the investment by charging user fee for 20 years, including the construction period of 30 months.

The two stretches are part of the 12,230 km national highways identified for four-laning at a total cost of Rs 80,626 crore under the NHDP Phase-III.

The projects would help commuters, labourers, tourism industry professionals and businessmen in thickly populated areas of the two states, it added.