NHAI invites bids for Rs 2,553.84 crore six-lane upgrade of Nagpur-Wainganga stretch on NH-53

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invited bids to convert the 42-km Nagpur-Wainganga section of the Mumbai-Kolkata National Highway (NH-53), in Bhandara district, into a six-lane expressway. The project is estimated at Rs 2,553.84 crore and covers the length between km 499.800 and km 541.800.

The contract will follow the build-operate-transfer model, and the successful bidder will have two and a half years to finish. Work is being taken up in phases under the approved detailed project report (DPR) and design. Once the technical evaluation of bids is over, the land required will be handed over, and construction on the ground is likely to start towards the end of December.

The road will have a main carriageway 10.5 metres wide on each side, with three lanes in each direction and a paved shoulder of 2.5 metres. A sturdy median 5 metres wide, fitted with crash barriers, will separate the two directions of traffic, which is meant to make movement safer and better controlled.

To keep vehicles moving without stopping at signals, flyovers will come up at the busy junctions along the route. Underpasses for pedestrians and for light vehicles will be built at various kilometre points, so that local residents, people on foot and small vehicles can cross safely. Major junctions will thus be free of traffic signals.

Ageing bridges and box culverts near the Wainganga river and over other water bodies will be widened and rebuilt. Where the road passes residential areas, service roads seven metres wide and a drainage system will be provided. Modern lay-bys will also be developed for trucks and other heavy vehicles.

The highway is the main economic artery connecting Nagpur with Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal, and it matters to central India as a whole, Vidarbha included. Heavy traffic makes the drive on it difficult for motorists at present. When the six-lane road is ready, goods vehicles are expected to travel faster and logistics costs should come down. That in turn should give a strong push to industry and business in Vidarbha.