Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today said Ludhiana will witness two road projects costing Rs. 1238 crore which will ease traffic congestion in industrial city.Disclosing this here today Mr Badal informed that NHAI will undertake both projects which included 4 laning elevated road in Ludhiana city from Samrala chowk to MC limits Ludhiana on NH-95 and 4-lane partial access controlled Laddowal bypass linking NH-95 with NH-1 via Laddowal seed farm.Giving details he said 12.951 km elevated road would be augmented at a cost of Rs. 867.72 crore and Laddowal bypass having length of 17.041 km costing Rs 370.17 crore would be constructed on design, build, operate and transfer (DBOT annuity or hybrid annuity) basis.With a view to provide relief to the inhabitants of this metropolitan city as well as developing this industrial hub as a smart city, Deputy CM said that he had impressed upon union road transport and highways minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari in the recent meeting to sanction both the projects on priority and he has done thr same.He said the 4/6-laning of Chandigarh-Kharar-Ludhiana section of NH-95 had already been approved and work has been started.
Deputy CM informed that union ministry has approved the draft request for proposal (RFP) and asked the NAHI to carry out the bidding process on e-tendering mode for selection of a private entity as the bidder to whom these projects could be awarded.Elaborating further Mr Badal said the scope of work broadly includes rehabilitation, upgradation and widening of the existing carriageway to four-lane standards with construction of new pavements, rehabilitation of existing pavements, construction and or rehabilitation of major and minor bridges, culverts, road intersections, interchanges, drains etc. including those prescribed in the concession agreement and its schedules besides its operation and maintenance thereof.
He emphasized that Punjab is the only state where every village, town and city is connected through road network and state has the maximum density of roads in the country, adding he said Punjab government is very keen to provide best connectivity in the state in terms of road, air and rail.Mr. Badal said that state government is paying special attention to the inclusive development of state and very soon the roads across the state would be transformed into 4-6 lane expressways. He also said the main road from SAS Nagar to Kharar would be given the elevated shape besides work on major expressways connecting with corporation towns with an investment of about Rs 20, 000 crores would be launched soon.