With Tata Realty and Infrastructure Limited (TRIL) evincing interest in three road projects under public-private partnership in the State, works on Chengapalli-Coimbatore-Walayar road widening project (NH 47) is likely to be expedited and completed by the end of this year.
Hyderabad-based IVRCL Infrastructure Projects is implementing the Rs. 850-crore road widening works for 54.83 km (Chengapalli – Coimbatore – Walayar) on Build-Operate-Transfer basis. The project has two sections, Chengapalli to Neelambur and Madukkarai to Walayar. Almost 76 per cent of works, started in September 2010, were over. However, progress of the project came to a standstill due to fund crunch. Though the project was originally scheduled to be completed in March 2013, it is now expected to be over by November or December this year.
An official of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) told The Hindu here on Friday that TRIL had evinced interest in five projects under the PPP mode and these included three in Tamil Nadu: Salem toll-way (53 km from Salem to Kumarapalayam) and Kumarapalayam toll-way (47 km from Kumarapalayam to Chengapalli) that were implemented by IVRCL and the Chengapalli-Coimbatore-Walayar (54.83 km) project, which is under execution.
Representatives of TRIL were here recently in this regard. The NHAI will have a meeting with all the stakeholders on February 2 in New Delhi and the modalities are likely to be finalised after that.
According to an official source, the concessionaire (IVRCL Infrastructure Projects) requires Rs. 270 crore to complete the balance work on the Chengapalli-Coimbatore-Walayar stretch. This includes a gap funding of Rs. 70 crore.
With Tata Realty and Infrastructure showing interest in the project, the financial problems are expected to be sorted out and works revived.
“If all goes well, toll collection at the toll plaza planned at Arasur will start by the end of June this year,” the source said.
