NHAI will develop an 88 km long, 6-lane access-controlled Agra Gwalior Greenfield Expressway (NH-719D), boosting the connectivity of Agra and Gwalior. NHAI signed a concession agreement with G.R. Infraprojects Ltd. to implement the project. The Agra Gwalior Greenfield Expressway will start from Deori Village in Agra and terminate at Susera Village in Gwalior. The project shall be developed at a Total Capital Cost of Rs 4613 Crore (including LA cost) on Build Operate Transfer (Toll) Mode.
The concession period of the contract is 20 years, including a 30-month construction period. The authority will provide construction support of Rs 820 Crores to the Concessionaire during the construction period, which will be linked to the project's progress. Overlay/strengthening, road safety, and improvement measures for the existing National Highway on NH-44 have also been included in the Agra-Gwalior project agreement.
The project has been awarded a quoted 17.170% premium in revenue shares of the realisable fee against an expected premium of 2.42%. The premium shall be payable in the second year after project completion, and it will be increased by 1% of the realizable fee every year in subsequent years for the remaining concession period.
The greenfield access-controlled expressway will traverse the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. It will provide high-speed connectivity between Agra and Gwalior and help decongest various cities and industrial areas on the existing Agra-Gwalior Section of NH-44. The expressway will cut travel time, reduce carbon footprint, and enhance the logistics efficiency of commercial and freight movement between Agra, Dholpur, Morena, and Gwalior.
The greenfield expressway will feature eight major bridges, 23 minor bridges, six flyovers, one Rail-over Bridge, and 192 culverts. The project will also pass through the National Chambal Wildlife Century. As part of wildlife mitigation measures, a cable-stayed bridge on the River Chambal has been planned to conserve ‘Gadiyal’ in the river waters. Other Wildlife mitigation measures, such as sound barriers and light cutters, will also be provided on the bridge.
The Government of India has encouraged Public-Private Partnerships for Build-Operate-Transfer (Toll) projects. Recently, NHAI signed a concession agreement to develop the 121 km long Guwahati Ring Road in a Build-Operate-Transfer (Toll) Mode. Robust Public-Private Partnerships in the road sector will contribute to developing, operating, and maintaining the country's world-class National Highway Network.
