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| New bridge on Tawi, four tunnels to come up during 4-laning of hilly Sidhra-Udhampur NH | | | Bharat Bhushan
JAMMU, Mar 16: A new bridge on Tawi river and at least four tunnels would come up during four-laning of the hilly Sidhra-Udhampur stretch of national highway.
The 65 km road stretch would be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,800 cr by Mumbai-based AFCONS Infrastructure -- the infrastructure arm of Shapoorji Pallonji group -- which last year bagged the Kolkata Metro Railway contract for a critical metro stretch that included three underground stations and India's first underwater train tunnel under Hoogly river.
A senior AFCONS functionary said as part of the conversion of the existing double-lane road to four-lane expressway, a new bridge would be constructed at Sidhra. This bridge, fifth on Tawi, would come up close to the already existing bridge connecting circular road to Sidhra, he informed.
After a detailed survey of the road, the company also decided to cut at least four tunnels through the hills from Sidhra to Udhampur.
While each tunnel would be 250 to 300 mt long, each tube of the highway would be 8.5 mt in width after completion, he added. He said apart from the bridge on Tawi, at least 70 more bridges would be built on the rivers, nullahs and deep ravines that came on the way.
"We will use latest technology and innovative designs to build all these bridges," he added.
He said with the construction of tunnels and bridges, the road length would get shortened. In accident prone areas and at other vulnerable spots, AFCONS would construct retaining walls for the safety of vehicle operators as per NH specifications, he informed.
When contacted, AFCONS general manager (projects), J&K, Vijay Singh Yadav, said most of the curves on the road would be straightened."Preliminary activities have begun and the work is likely to be completed in 3.5 to 4 years," he added.
Yadav said the company also planned to engage local contractors but their selection depended exactly on their proved track record.
He said AFCONS, which began its operations as a civil construction firm way back in 1959, had come a long way in establishing its reputation in the country.
The four-laning was likely to provide people a much-needed relief from landslides and blockades during winters and rainy days.
Official sources said the project got delayed as the work for the acquisition of land from the forest department and locals was pending for the past four to five years.
The land had been acquired now by the revenue authorities, the sources added.
Sources said forest land measuring 34.70 hectares had been handed over to National Highway Authority of India for usage in four-laning of Sidhra-Udhampur section of highway vide government order No 339-FST of 2010 dated August 27, 2010.
Wakaf land measuring 2.13 kanals under khasra No 785 and 1.9 kanals under khasra No 787 was also acquired at Ban, Nagrota.
In a letter signed by him on January 15 last, Auqaf Islamia Jammu administrator Raj Mohammad said, " This office has no objection if the wakaf land at Ban is acquired for widening of NH provided they are paid the amount of compensation and monthly rent on the prevailing market rate as permissible under section 58 of J&K Wakaf Act, 2001, and also, if none of the grave, if found, is affected." |
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