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KMP expressway to open partially in July
Three months from now, in July, the 135.65-km-long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway — one of India's longest — will start functioning partially when its 50-km long arm between Manesar (NH-8) and Palwal (NH-2) opens for commuters, reports Sanjeev K Ahuja.
Three months from now, in July, the 135.65-km-long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway — one of India's longest — will start functioning partially when its 50-km long arm between Manesar (NH-8) and Palwal (NH-2) opens for commuters.
The complete 135.6 km stretch of the Western Peripheral Expressway — as it also known — is expected to open only in December.
The toll rates for the expressway have been announced.
For the first time in India, commuters (four-wheelers) will pay toll for the distance they have travelled on this 4/6 lane access-controlled signal-free expressway under the unique closed loop tolling system.
In contrast, the Gurgaon Expressway uses the open loop tolling system and commuters pay only if they cross toll plazas but not otherwise.
This Rs 1,915 crore Greenfield project connects India's four busiest national highways NH-1 near Kundli (Sonepat), NH-10 at near Bahadurgarh, NH-8 at Manesar (Gurgaon) and NH-2 near Palwal (Faridabad).
The KMP Expressway was envisaged in public-private partnership by the Haryana government to ease pressure on Delhi’s roads and to provide direct access to vehicles to UP and Rajasthan without crossing the national capital.
The Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) had awarded the contract of constructing the road to KMP Expressway Limited on a build-operate-transfer basis.
The targeted date of completion was July 2009. But because of litigations and other hurdles, the deadline was extended till December 2010.
H.S. Kohli, chairman KMP Expressway Limited, told Hindustan Times that the concessionaire agreement permitted the company to open the stretch partially and charge toll tax for this leg.
"The toll rates have been calculated on the basis of the wholesale price index and commuters would have to pay for the kilometres they travel on the stretch between Manesar and Palwal which we are going to open in July," Kohli said.
"Vehicles that take a long detour while traveling between Manesar and Palwal through Delhi and Gurgaon will save on the distance, time and fuel,
and the journey will be comfortable."
On rest of the KMP stretch, Kohli said that it was likely to be thrown open in December.
