Welspun, Sadbhav among bidders for Delhi-Meerut Expressway project

NEW DELHI: Several major infrastructure companies are in the race for the about Rs 4,800 crore Delhi-Meerut Expressway project. The project is being divided into three stretches and each is being bid out separately.
Two concessionaires, Ashoka Buildcon and Welspun Group, have bid for the 8.7-km stretch between Nizamuddin in Delhi and the UP border. The stretch, which will have a major bridge, is estimated to cost Rs 796 crore.
APCO Infratech, Sadbhav Engineering, Ashoka Buildcon and PNC Infratech have bid for the 22-km Dasna-Meerut section, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,122 crore.
Bidding for the 49-km Delhi-Dasna-Hapur stretch, which is expected to entail an investment of Rs 2,800 crore, is yet to close.
The project is being awarded under the Hybrid Annuity Model – a mix of engineering, procurement and construction, and build-operate-transfer formats – with the government and the private companies sharing the project cost 40:60.
Under this model, land and environment clearances are handed over to the private contractor before it starts construction. The toll is collected by the government and a fixed annuity plus a profit is given to the private partner.