63 Pre-Qualification Bids For Rs 400cr Japan-Aided Flyover

Altogether 63 pre-qualification bids have been submitted for undertaking the Japanese-assisted Rs 400 crore flyover project in Calcutta.

The project includes construction of six flyovers and three road development schemes. The nine schemes have been divided into three packages for the purpose of implementation.

The whole project is expected to be completed by March 2002.

The West Bengal government is expected make the selection from 63 applications shortly. This will be followed by floattion of construction tenders and their scrutiny.

This is the single most important project being undertaken to improve the surface transportation infrastructure of Calcutta.

The loan from the Overseas Economic Co-Operation Fund (OECF) of Japan will carry an interest of 2.2 per cent and it will be repaybale over 30 years after a 10-year moratorium.

 

The OECF loan of 10,679 million Yen (equivalent to Rs 340 crore) will meet 84 per cent of the Rs 400 crore cost of the project. OECF will pay the contractors bills directly. The interest during construction is being added to the capital cost.

The flyover project is aimed at easing the traffic congestion which is renderig the present network less efficient. With the completion of the project, the road network will open up to a significant extent.

The first package has three components: a) the 900 meter long Park Street flyover; b) the 800 meter long Lockgate flyuover; and, the 700 meter long Mallickbazar flyover. This package is estimated to cost Rs 82 crore.

The second package costing Rs 48 crore will have four components: a) the 800 meter long Gariahat flyover; b)m Esplanade at-grade improvement; c) Shyambbazar at-grade improvement; and, Maniktala at-grade improvement.

The third package is estimated to cost Rs 165 crore. This will have two components: a) the 2.3 kilometer long Rabindra Sadan-Beckbagan flyover; and, b) the one kilometer long Moulali flyover.

Besides Rs 340 crore lona from OECF, the West Bengal Government will provide the rest Rs 60 crore. The state governments funds will be utilised on three heads: 1) civil works - Rs 46.43 crore; 2) contingency - Rs 4.62 crore; and, 3) taxes and duties - Rs 8.95 crore.

Implementation of the first package is scheduled to begin from February, 1999 folowed by the first and third packages from May99 and September99 respectively.

The Yachiyo Engineering Company Limited of Japan is acting as the consuktant to the project on behalf of the West Bengal government. On the other hand, the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners is the agency which has been entrusted by the state government to implement hhis project.

The flyovers will have single column at the centre. Columns will be normally spaced at an interval of 25 meters and about 45 meters at major street crossings. The columns will be generally of steel and will be brought for erection after fabrication away from the site. Similarly steel girders will be fabricated elsewhere before being brought for erection. Deck of the flyovers will be of ready mix concrete brought from the plant and will be pumped into the place.

All flyovers will be 4-lane divided for two-way traffic except at Mallikbazar which will be 2-lane one-way operation.