NHAI has to invite fresh bids for the project

Those dreaming of cruising down a four-lane highway right from Bengaluru to Mangaluru will have to wait at least for another three years as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has to find new contractors for the project.

The authority is in the process of terminating the present contracts and inviting bids afresh for the 116 km highway that was divided into two packages under engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode.

While the 55-km stretch between Hassan and Maranahalli was awarded to M/s Isolux at a cost of ₹400 crore, the 66-km stretch (concrete pavement) between Addahole (near Gundya) and B.C. Road in Dakshina Kannada was awarded to M/s Larsen and Tubro at a cost of ₹821 crore in March 2017.

By November last itself, both the contractors had expressed their inability to execute the projects. While Isolux had gone bankrupt, L & T had issued a letter of foreclosure of the contract to NHAI. L & T was reportedly unhappy over the abnormal delay in land acquisition for the project as well as NHAI’s decision to delete 16 km of forest stretch from the work scope. With road users crying foul with the dismal state of the existing carriageway during this extended monsoon, excluding the 26-km stretch of concreted Shiradi Ghat, the NHAI has decided to invite fresh bids for the project. The authority has also decided to make it a three package work, excluding the 16-km stretch between Addahole and Periashanthi (Dharmasthala Cross) from the Addahile-B.C. Road Package.

This particular stretch passes through forest region and requires several wildlife mitigation works including animal corridors, said Somashekar, General Manager (Technical) of NHAI and project in-charge.