HYDERABAD: The HMDA has not recarpeted several sections of the Outer Ring Road for a decade after it was completed in December 2012. The reason: Few have applied for the tenders, floated by the HMDA wing Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL), to take up the job.
This has left the ORR, opened for traffic in phases since 2008, with many potholes along its 158-km stretch.
In the latest development, HMDA officials said that about 62.5 km of ORR (phase IIA), taken up by various contractors under build operate and transfer (BOT) on an annuity basis, would also be re-carpeted in the next few months. Officials said that the 12-km stretch from Pedda Amberpet to Bonguluru had been taken up in 2017 and HMDA did not pay a penny.
While two packages from Pedda Amberpet to Ghatkesar and Shamshabad to Tukkuguda would be taken up next month, Kokapet-Narsingi and Narsingi-Patancheru would be recarpeted by December if private agencies are shortlisted.
However, official sources said ORR re-carpeting needs to be taken up every six to seven years, but the relaying of the 158-km ORR with milling and bitumen layer has been delayed by six years due to the financial crisis in the HMDA.
The Patancheru to Pedda Amberpet via Shamirpet and Ghatkesar project would be completed in 20 months from the day the works commence. It is coming up at an estimated cost of a little over Rs 20.62 crore.
Officials said the HGCL was engaged in the operations and maintenance of ORR. The HMDA has decided to undertake tolling, operations and maintenance of the ORR through public private partnership (PPP) on toll, operate and transfer (TOT) basis for a period of 30 years, and has decided to carry out the bidding process for selection of a private entity. The last date of submitting bids would be January 16, and the shortlisted agency will sign the agreement on February 20.
