Six companies bid for stalled Package-9 of Vadodara-Virar section

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated a new tender process to expedite the stalled construction of Package-9 in the Vadodara-Virar section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Six infrastructure companies have submitted bids for the 26.6 km long stretch between Karvad and Jujuva in Valsad district.

According to a report by DeshGujarat, tenders were re-issued as work on this stretch, under NHAI's Surat unit, had come to a complete standstill. Following the opening of technical bids, Agrawal Infrabuild, Single Infra, Kalthia Engineering and Construction, Ashoka Buildcon, RRSM Infra, and Roadway Solutions India Infra Limited have emerged as competitors. The financial bids will be opened after the completion of the technical evaluation, following which the contract will be awarded to the selected agency.

As per the terms of the new tender, the contractor must complete and hand over this 26.6 km stretch within 540 days, approximately 18 months, from the date of receiving the contract. This implies that even after the appointment of a new contractor, motorists may have to wait for a year and a half for this section to become operational.

The participation of Roadway Solutions India Infra Limited in this process has raised several questions. The company's previous contract was cancelled due to slow progress and unsatisfactory performance. According to the report, its contract for Package-6 was terminated due to insufficient progress, and it had also been served a notice regarding Package-8. Discussions are underway as to why the company was not deemed ineligible at the tender stage despite such a poor record. Concerns have been expressed regarding the possibility of further delays in the work of the Gujarat section.

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is a 1,350 km long, eight-lane access-controlled greenfield expressway connecting New Delhi with Mumbai. It passes through the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The project aims to reduce the travel time between Delhi and Mumbai from 24 hours to 12 hours.