J Kumar Infraprojects Limited (JKIL), a Maharashtra-based company has been awarded the contract to build all four packages of the four-lane elevated corridor from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal in Chennai.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issued letter of acceptance (LoA) to J Kumar for the construction of elevated road project at an order value of approximately Rs 4,000 crore.
The first and fourth package have been awarded to a joint venture of JKIL and AZVIRT at a bid price of Rs 915 crore and Rs 775 crore respectively.
Packages II and III have been awarded to the JKIL at a bid price of Rs 1,015 crore and Rs 865 crore respectively.
According to NHAI sources, the contractor, who has worked extensively on the Mumbai Metro, quoted 15 per cent less than the estimated amount of the Rs 5,510 crore project.
In the next stage, the contractor will mobilise the required personnel, materials and machinery.
According to the LoA, the date for the commencement of the work has been fixed as 31 July 2023 and all four packages are required to be completed in two and a half years.
Four Packages
Earlier in July 2022, the NHAI had invited tenders for the expressway project through four engineering procurement construction (EPC) packages with a 910-day construction deadline.
A total of 13 bidders, including Afcons, Tata Projects and Kalpataru Power Transmission were in fray to construct Maduravoyal Expressway.
These firms had submitted a total of 24 bids for four packages of the project. Out of the 13 bidders, Afcons Infrastructure Limited and J Kumar Infraprojects were the only two to have bid for all the four packages.
Project
The 20.593-km-long double-decker elevated highway between Maduravoyal on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway and Napier Bridge, adjacent to Chennai port, will be constructed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
The project entails constructing a four-lane elevated corridor.
The first level of the corridor will facilitate movement of light motor vehicles between Koyambedu and Chennai Port, with ramps in 13 places — seven entries and six exits.
The second tier has been designed only for heavy motor vehicles between Chennai Port and Maduravoyal.
The project is specifically designed to manage the expected increase in port-bound traffic, which is predicted to double by 2040 from current levels.
At present, trucks to and from the port ply through the port’s northern end in Royapuram. However, the elevated project will allow entry and exit through the port’s southern end in the heart of the city.
The completion of this project is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in Chennai by segregating local traffic movement onto one tier of the elevated highway. Additionally, it will double the handling capacity of the port, reduce waiting times, and decrease travel time for vehicles bound for the port, by an hour.
The foundation stone of the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2022.