Eastern Peripheral Expressway | Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal | 6 lanes | Proposed

[pgarg2000]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/10720563.cms

NEW DELHI: The finance ministry has asked the highway ministry to expedite the implementation of the ambitious Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) project, which aims at decongesting Delhi roads by constructing an expressway around the capital. It has also shot down the proposal for levying a toll one-and-a-half times higher than that of any other national highway (NH) or expressway, and raised questions as to whether or not the ministry's shift in stand to charge higher toll is in "public interest".

The proposal for a higher toll on the 135km expressway was first made by the Planning Commission earlier this year in its communication with the highway ministry. It had said the project should be treated as a bypass and not as a national highway, and that in case a highways project is treated as a bypass, commuters would have to pay a higher toll.

The then highway secretary R S Gujral had initially objected to the proposal in his letter dated February 3, 2011 to the plan panel member secretary, saying bypass toll rates, if applied, may render the EPE unattractive, and lead to "diversion of the overall traffic, especially through the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), the other half of the ring expressway around Delhi".

The ministry had observed that such a move would be anti-people. But it changed its stand later and supported the proposal despite the NHAI having already shortlisted the bidders. A note was prepared subsequently to award the project with 1.5 times the normal toll and forwarded to the finance ministry and the PMO.

TOI had earlier reported that the PMO in a letter issued to the ministry had asked it to circulate the proposal among the department of economic affairs (DEA), the law ministry and the Planning Commission for their opinion before going ahead with it. In its recent communication with the highway ministry, the DEA says that the highway ministry may be advised to confirm that the change in stand now is in public interest. It further says levying bypass rates are not justified on grounds of "equity".

It adds that further delay is likely to increase the cost of the project and that delay in the bidding process is also likely to affect the bidder's interest and impact project viability. The project was first considered by the Public Private Partnership Accounts Committee (PPPAC) in 2007 and was finally approved by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) in May 2011. "Due to delay in implementation of the project, hundreds of lives are lost every year on Delhi roads. A substantial percentage of the fatal accidents are caused by heavy and commercial vehicles. If both the EPE and WPE projects were expedited, we could have prevented loss of many lives," pointed out an NHAI official.

[IndiansUnite]

Project info from a PDF on Span Consultant's website:




more detailed info from another PDF:

[pgarg2000]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/11075626.cms

NEW DELHI: Montek Singh Ahluwalia's adviser Gajendra Haldea is not just in the eye of a storm involving the resignation of 16 highway engineers.

Several ministries - from finance and highways to even the Planning Commission - are accusing him of holding up the Eastern Peripheral Expressway around Delhi.

Official documents accessed by TOI show that Haldea's insistence on imposing a toll that is 1.5 times higher than the competing road project has "horrendously" delayed the award of the project by at least six months.

The papers also allege that delaying this project would benefit the Western Peripheral Expressway, being developed by a private developer.

The two projects will come up on either side of the national Capital and are expected to considerably ease traffic in the city. Documents show that even in November, Haldea had favoured a higher toll rate and had opposed the normal rate claiming that the 135-km road was being developed as a bypass. He had mentioned that lowering toll rate would not benefit the public as this would lead to a higher government liability in the form of higher viability gap funding.

Sources in the highways ministry said the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, while clearing the project, had mentioned that the expressway should be awarded with "zero" VGF. An official note by Planning Commission member Sudha Pillai in September shows how despite everyone agreeing to normal toll, only Haldea pushed for a higher rate.

In February, even the then highways secretary R S Gujral, who is now finance secretary, had said the road should be treated as a highway. Pillai had earlier agreed with Haldea on treating the road as a bypass but agreed with Gujral's view later. Then the CCI in April and PPP Appraisal Committee in May gave the nod to the projects.

Last December, NHAI and road ministry had said that Haldea's proposal of 1.5 times toll would make the EPE unviable and "bring undue benefit" to the WPE developer.

[pgarg2000]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/11089094.cms

NEW DELHI: Gajendra Haldea, adviser to the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, has denied a TOI report which suggested that his insistence on imposing higher toll on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) around Delhi was holding up the project.

In a rejoinder to the news report titled 'Montek's adviser blamed for delay in e-way project', which appeared on Monday (December 12), Haldea wrote, "The matter rests entirely with the ministry of road transport and highways. Since the PPPAC (PPP appraisal committee) meeting held in May last, this matter has not been referred to the Planning Commissi-on and the question of holding it up does not arise."

Haldea also termed as false the suggestion that his insistence on higher toll had delayed the award of the project by at least six months, to the benefit of another private developer. Haldea had earlier told TOI that toll rates were governed by rules approved by the Cabinet and the EPE could be no different. "The 1.5-times higher toll is a ceiling. Based on competition or demand, the concessionaire can lower the toll rate. Where is the problem?" he asked.

[pgarg2000]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/br...rmula/886997/3

[pgarg2000]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...-expedite.html

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday directed the ministry of road transport and highways to expedite the allocation of major projects for this fiscal.

"The ministry of Road Transport and Highways has assured that 15 major projects covering 1,547 km of roads and highways will be awarded within this financial year," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in statement. According to the PMO, another 11 projects for 1,731 km of roads will be considered by the public private partnership (PPP) approval committee next week.

"This will ensure that the target for the current financial year of 7,999 km is met on time." The Cabinet committee on infrastructure will also consider a proposal by the Highways ministry on the eastern peripheral expressway.

The expressway is expected to decongesting the national capital region (NCR) on the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana side along with the completion of the western peripheral expressway which is nearing completion.

Earlier Union Road Transport and Highway Minister C P Joshi told reporters that an inter-ministerial panel will soon finalise the EPC model for building roads.

[pgarg2000]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-...e1-811578.aspx

The prime minister's office has stepped in to ensure there’s no further delay in implementing the ambitious project to complete a ring road around Delhi — to let 200,000 vehicles bypass the Capital every day.

Hindustan Times had on February 10 highlighted how the 135-km
Eastern Peripheral Expressway — one half of the project — has failed to take off due to bureaucratic indecisiveness.

At a meeting on Tuesday chaired by Pulok Chatterjee, principal secretary to the PM, it was decided that the cabinet committee on infrastructure will clear the project next week.

[pgarg2000]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-...e1-811557.aspx

The Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday stepped in to ensure that there is no further delay in implementing the ambitious project to complete a ring road around Delhi. The road will let nearly 2 lakh vehicles skip the Capital every day and help ease traffic congestion. Hindustan Times had
on February 10 reported how the 135-km Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) - half of the 270-km road around Delhi -had failed to take off because of bureaucratic indecisiveness. The road was first approved by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) way back in 2007.

Along with the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), which is being implemented by the Haryana government and is nearing completion, the eastern expressway would have completed the ring road and provided an alternative route to inter-state traffic not bound for Delhi and helped decongest city roads.

At a meeting chaired by principal secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterjee on Tuesday, it was decided that the EPE proposal would be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) for clearance next week.

AK Upadhyay, road secretary, Sudha Pillai, member secretary, Planning Commission and R Gopalan, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, attended the meeting among others.

"The EPE proposal would be placed before the CCI meeting scheduled next week for approval," said an official.

The project has been held up since 2007 as the government had been unable to decide how much commuters should pay for using this stretch.

But now the Centre seems to have agreed to the road ministry's stand to charge toll tax 50% more than rates charged on other national highways and the WPE.

The road ministry had earlier wanted toll rates of bypass roads - 1.5 times more than what is charged on national highways. Their argument: the EPE is a bypass, not a highway.

The move to levy more toll had invited criticism from some senior panel officials and the Finance Ministry on the grounds that it would go against "public interest" and make the project "unviable" vis-à-vis WPE.

[pgarg2000]

same news ...

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=80319

On the direction of the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has assured that 15 major projects of 1,547 kilometers of Roads and Highways will be awarded within this financial year. Another 11 projects for 1,731 kms of Roads will be considered by the Public Private Partnership Approval Committee, next week for speedy approval. This will ensure that the target for the current financial year of 7,999 kms is met on time.

A meeting attended by Member Secretary Planning Commission, Secretary Department of Economic Affairs, Secretary Ministry of Road Transport & Highways along with Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister decided that Cabinet approvals will be sought within next week to complete this task. The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure will also consider a proposal by the MORTH on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway to clear the project in its meeting scheduled for next week. This Expressway will help in decongesting the National Capital Region on Uttar Pradesh and Haryana side along with the Western Peripheral Expressway which is nearing completion. The Road Transport and Highways Ministry would also indicate its targets for the next year within this month.

[shree711]

Nice updates. Keep them coming!

[pgarg2000]

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...19.cms?curpg=2

[TutConr]

Originally Posted by pgarg2000

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...19.cms?curpg=2

No coordination in the government. We really need to fix this.

[pgarg2000]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/12062610.cms

looks like PM/PMO is really interested in this project ...

[pgarg2000]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mo...essway/918383/

New Delhi, Thu Mar 01 2012, 01:14 hrs

There is fresh objection to charging higher toll on the proposed Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), and it comes from within the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH). The EPE proposes to connect Kundli to Palwal in Haryana through Ghaziabad.

Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor Vijay Chibber has written to the Finance Ministry that terming the EPE as a bypass road from its national highway status would lead to higher toll and would also require subsidy from the government. “...we are not only levying a higher tariff on the people but also increasing the risks to be adopted by the prospective concessionaire and hence the need for providing viability gap funding as against a positive revenue stream,” Chibber wrote last week.

Last November, the Finance Ministry rejected MoRTH Minister CP Joshi’s push to levy a higher toll on the EPE than that on the Western Peripheral Expressway as it would divert traffic to WPE and impact EPE’s viability. The WPE, awarded to DS Construction in 2008, will connect Kundli to Palwal in Haryana through Manesar. Moreover, it said the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) had reconfirmed five times that the EPE was not a bypass road but an NH and therefore, bypass toll of 1.5 times the highway rate was not applicable.

EPE and WPE, together, are conceived to form a ring road outside Delhi for channeling non-Delhi bound traffic without entering the national capital.

But Joshi and the Planning Commission are adamant on reversing the PPPAC decision which was based on the backing by the NHAI and MoRTH. Chibber’s contention is based on NHAI estimates which show that even at normal NH rates, the EPE toll would be higher than WPE toll by 60 to 75 per cent and would divert 22 per cent of the traffic to WPE.

If the EPE was considered as a bypass, its toll rates would be 96 per cent to 111 percent higher than the WPE toll.

“Taken together with the uncertainty regarding the extent of traffic diversion, the increase in risk and uncertainty is likely to lead to extremely erratic and inconsistent bids, which is not desirable,” he argues, adding that there was likelihood that NHAI would have to come back later to the government for VGF or for terming EPE as an NH.

Miffed by the inordinate delay and internal dissensions over the EPE, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week intervened to set up a GoM comprising Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Joshi and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman MS Ahluwalia to “resolve the matter”.

The letter from the PMO cautions: “The PM has observed that this matter has been considerably delayed. He has desired that the matter should be brought to the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure if the ministers take a considered decision to overrule the decision of the PPPAC”.

The Plan panel too is divided on the issue with Member BK Chaturvedi putting on record that “if the PPPAC decisions are to be overturned and matters which are delegated to it are to go to Cabinet afresh, we might as well abolish the PPPAC”.

Member Secretary Sudha Pillai has supported the view and reiterated that imposition of a higher toll would be “contrary to the government policy” and would “not be in public interest”.

However, Ahluwalia has supported the higher bypass rate: “MoRTH has decided to treat EPE as a bypass and therefore, Planning Commission does not have any objection in this regard.”

[pgarg2000]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome...=feeds-newsxml

The apparently distant pipe dream to free the Capital's roads of heavy, inter-state traffic just got dearer.

Delhiites will now have to pay an additional amount of more than Rs 600 crore for the delayed Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) and Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) projects.

The projects, by reducing vehicular traffic, are aimed at slashing the number of accidents and reducing air pollution in the city.


What's worrying the Delhi government is that the project cost could escalate further by a few hundred crores because of the delay and confusion in implementation of the projects.
The latest escalation has increased the cost of the projects to `2,550.68 crore. This means the Delhi government, which contributed more than Rs 650 crore earlier, will soon be handing out another Rs 620 crore as its share of the cost.

'We have feelers that the project cost could go up to Rs 2,900 crore. In such a case we would want part of the toll revenue after the initial By Bhuvan Bagga in New Delhi party's concession contract expires,' a Delhi government official said.
As a part of this project, several hundred kilometres of six-lane expressways will be built in a way that they form a circumference around the Capital.

The Delhi government's contribution to the cost of the projects is 50 per cent and once commissioned, it is expected to ensure that at least one to two lakh vehicles won't enter Delhi's road network.
The Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments are contributing 25 per cent each to the projects. Sources in the Delhi government's planning department say the issue of cost escalations was discussed at the state cabinet meeting held on Monday.
The state government reportedly gave an in-principle approval to release an additional Rs 600 crore for the escalated sum.

But officials will raise the issue with the neighbouring states and the Centre.
'We want to point out that states are gaining a lot more from the projects than Delhi. We want them to understand such cost escalations are unfair on Delhiites,' the official added.

[pgarg2000]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/12335248.cms

[pgarg2000]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-...e1-863184.aspx

Stuck since 2007, the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) project — one half of the peripheral road around Delhi —may finally take off.

The reason for the delay was the government's inability to decide how much toll commuters should pay for using the proposed 135 km
stretch.

Along with the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), which is being implemented by the Haryana government and is near completion, the EPE will complete the ring road around Delhi and provide an alternate route to traffic not bound for the Capital, thereby helping decongest Delhi roads.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to meet road minister CP Joshi and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on May 31 to decide the toll to be charged on the EPE.

"The core group headed by the finance minister was formed in February following directions from the Prime Minister's Office to resolve the toll dispute. It could not, however, meet so far because of the budget session," said a source.

While the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) and the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) have approved levying of normal toll rates on EPE at par with rates in other national highways, including the WPE, the road ministry wants to levy 50% more than the normal toll rate on the ground that the EPE is a bypass, not a highway. Bypass toll is 1.5 times higher than normal toll.

The move to levy more toll on the EPE has come under flak from senior Planning Commission officials, including former member secretary Sudha Pillai, and the finance ministry on the grounds that levying higher toll would go against "public interest" and make the project "unviable" vis-à-vis WPE. The delay has not only resulted in the EPE's cost escalating but has also resulted in loss of thousands of lives in accidents caused by outbound heavy and commercial vehicles passing through Delhi.

[rajesh81]

his is excellent news for the NCR. This will all NCR areas much better for faster development.

New Delhi: After being stuck for well over five years, the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) looks set to take off with a longstanding debate over its classification now resolved.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has prevailed over Road Transport and Highways Minister C P Joshi and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to designate the 135-km peripheral road around Delhi as an “expressway”, which would involve toll rates identical to those for any national highway, rather than as a “bypass”, for which the toll would have been 1½ times as high. The highways ministry has been directed to charge highway toll rates.
The Eastern PE will connect Kundli to Palwal in Haryana through Ghaziabad, forming a ring with the Western PE between the same two points but through Manesar. The twin expressways will allow traffic to skirt Delhi unless bound for the capital. The WPE project is being undertaken by the Haryana government, which has awarded the contract to DS Construction.
The resolution of the debate gives the two expressways equivalent status. Had the EPE been a bypass, its higher toll would have forced traffic onto the WPE.
The resolution came last week at a meeting of a group of ministers formed in February at the Prime Minister’s behest. “It has been decided that the road is an expressway. If the implementing agency wants to charge a higher rate, then it will mean revising the toll rates for expressways,” said an official close to the development.
It is up to the ministry to award the project. It was impressed upon them in the meeting, sources said, that it must be expedited as per directions of the Prime Minister.
The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure and the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee, which approved the project, had called for national highway-equivalent toll rates and the highways ministry had initially agreed, but later went by the Planning Commission position that it was a bypass and should have a higher toll rate.
Gajendra Haldea, adviser to Ahluwalia, had argued that the EPE will be built at about Rs 30 crore per kilometre as against Rs 6 to Rs 10 crore per km for a national highway.

Expressway it is, now ready to take off

[InfraNerd]

Govt to award 'Eastern Peripheral Expressway' this fiscal

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/14097819.cms

The government's ambitious 'Eastern Peripheral Expressway' connecting Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Palwal would be a part of the Road Ministry's target of awarding 9,500 km projects in 2012-13.

National Highways Authority of India ( NHAI) is likely to invite bids for the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) in the next 15 days.

"The toll rate issue has been resolved and the bids for EPE would invited in the next two weeks," a Road Ministry official told PTI.

According to sources,"EPE would be included in the 9,500 km target set by the PM for the current fiscal."

The Road Ministry awarded close to 8,000 km of highway projects in 2011-12.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a recent meeting with the core sector ministries including Power, Coal, Shipping and Roads, set a target of awarding 9,500 km of highway projects in the current financial year (2012-13).

However, the issue of awarding this project was stuck as Road Ministry had suggested a premium of 50 per cent compared to normal toll rates in the expressway.

However, the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) and Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) approved levying of normal toll rates on EPE at par with other highways.

"The proposal of CCI and PPPAC has been accepted," sources said. This means that the normal toll rates would be charged at the EPE.

At present, according to the National Highway Fee Rules, 2008, toll - based on a 3 per cent fixed rate plus 40 per cent of yearly change in Wholesale Price Index -- is applicable on highways and expressways.

EPE envisages to provide signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad and Faridabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater NOIDA) and Palwal.

A complementary Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) also connects Kundli to Palwal via Manesar in Haryana.

The two expressways were planned in 2006 following a Supreme Court order to form a ring road outside Delhi for channelling non-Delhi bound traffic bypassing the national capital.

[manish1]

NHAI has finally invited bids for constructing the Eastern Peripheral Expressway -

http://www.nhai.org/Doc/11july12/NIT.pdf