Six National Highways in for a makeover

HYDERABAD:  Six roads under the National Highway Authority of India in the state are ready for a makeover. Their maintenance, repairs and expansion will be taken up under public-private partnership (PPP).The Union ministry of road transport and highways transferred the six roads to the state roads and building department recently to facilitate the work.Similarly, 38 state roads will be repaired and maintained under public-private partnership in the state. The length of the roads to be covered under the prograrmme is 1,900 km. Roads in the state run to a total length of 70,000 km.The government has sanctioned Rs12.5 crore for survey and viability study and for preparing estimates.The government has decided to take up 12 roads out of the 38 in first phase and invited applications from consultancies to take up the survey. As many as 29 consultancy firms have submitted their quotations.Chief engineer of the roads and building department G Jagannadha Rao said they would entrust the survey to a consultancy by February second week.He also said those who come forward to meet above 50 percent of the road construction cost would be considered for awarding work contract. The Central government would bear 20 percent of the cost under viability gap fund and the remaining would be borne by the state government, he said.Already, construction of some roads and bridges has been taken up on PPP basis in the state. They include Rajiv Rahadari from Thumukunta to Ramagundam, road work from Narketpalli to Addanki (in Prakasam district), bridge on Godavari river at Rajamundry and some roads in Rayalaseema.The central government is encouraging public-private partnership in road construction to avoid maintenance problems. The government is spending Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per kilometre per year for the maintenance of a two-lane road and Rs 45,000 to Rs 60,000 for four-lane roads.