KOLKATA: India's largest infrastructure project under the build-own-transfer (BOT) model and one with substantial foreign direct investment (FDI) is expected to be completed by March 2007. The Union Surface Transport Ministry has provided a 20 per cent grant towards the project which will link the northeastern region in the golden quadrilateral project of the National Highways Development Project.

Being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the public private partnership (PPP) format, the Rs. 1,000-crore project will establish a transport link between the country and the eastern region.

The project is being implemented by a consortium of companies, including Parson Brinkerhoff of the U.S., Pacific Alliance Group of Singapore, the Stradec group from the Phillipines and IJM Group from Malaysia.

The Indian companies are: L&T and Consulting Engineering Services (India). L&T is also the project's engineering projects construction (EPC) contractor. The bridge will be located on the northern outskirts of the city close to the Vivekananda Bridge near the Dakshineswar temple.

The project is being constructed by the Second Vivekananda Bridge Tollway Company Pvt. Ltd. (SVBTC). This company has signed a 30-year concession agreement with the NHAI . This new link is expected to ease the load of the road-cum-rail bridge at the existing bridge built in the 1940s.

The project was conceived in 1993 and designed with assistance from International Bridge Technologies of the U.S.

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