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Gujarat State Highway Project (GSHP II) (Proposed)
R&BD, GoG with in-principle agreement with the World Bank, has finalised a project budget of ? 3,600cr (725 M USD) for GSHP-II. As a pre-requisite towards loan appraisal with the WB, R&BD, GoG is busy meeting the initial preparatory obligations of the projects which include finalising the designs, getting the clearances and putting procurement documents in place. Project interventions include Two Laning (448.6km), Wide Two Laning, Four Laning (195.45km) and Rehabilitation (359.17km) of prioritised road sections across the regions of the state. The project delivery will not only have item rate kind of implementation on ICB/NCB but also Annuity/BOT channels with some innovative ways of financing/packaging to make the projects more attractive and to enable the passing of more benefits in favour of the next level of infrastructure.
Besides, GSHP-II is trying to take lead while piloting the ?Green Highway? concept and ?Safer Roads? initiative through this endeavour. R&BD and GoG support, along with that of the World Bank Team, is placing GSHP-II in a confident mode to write another chapter in road transport sector development of Gujarat.
Gujarat Road Management System (GRMS)
GRMS is appreciated Asset Management System of Gujarat. It is developed and implemented in the GSHP to improve quality in management of road system and to enhance capability of the department by providing a source of readily accessible, relevant and valid information on the road system, and improving support for decision-making by providing various modern, analytical tools. GRMS is developed by R&BD through World Bank funded GSHP. It is implemented for SH, MDR, ODR and VR network in phases. This system has transformed the department to the smart manager of assets with improved efficiency and quality delivery. It has speeded up the process of decision making to develop, manage and maintain the roads, and provides reliable, valid and readily available information about the road network, structures and its condition.
The key modules of GRMS include Road Information System (RIS), Pavement Management System (PMS), Routine Maintenance Management System (RMMS), Bridge Management System (BMS), Traffic Information System (TIS), Accident Information System (AIS), Environment & Social Information System (EIS), Monitoring and Evaluation System (MES) and Budgeting and Programming.
The IEG, Washington Report
The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), Washington, has prepared a report for evaluation of the World Bank funded Gujarat State Highway Project. The IEG has appreciated the efforts made by R&BD, GoG for the successful implementation of the project with exemplary efficiency. The report observed:
??The Gujarat Project has helped the state?s roads agency (Roads and Building Department) to improve its capacity for the planning and maintenance of road infrastructure. The progress made in various aspects of institutional development ? planning, procurement, data collection and analysis using a Road Management System, contract management and quality control, and environmental and social safeguards ? has been largely mainstreamed into the Roads and Building Department. Administrative efficiency has shown steady and impressive improvement. Physical targets under the project for road improvement and related outcomes were achieved in a highly cost-effective and efficient manner and have been demonstrably sustained beyond project completion. Several state governments and road agencies have shown interest in learning from Gujarat?s experience from the project.?
Gujarat Emergency Earthquake Rehabilitation Project (GEERP)
After Gujarat?s devastating earthquake on January 26, 2001 the need of the hour was to facilitate rebuilding/rehabilitation work in the earthquake affected districts. Strengthening/renewal of roads and repair/reconstruction of bridges were of topmost priority.
This major work was completed through funding from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority.
Pragati Path
This is GoG?s innovative scheme to develop important road corridors joining extreme distant places of the state as high speed corridors. Through Pragati Path, the state government intends to improve North-South and East-West speedy connectivity for assisting in the integration and potential development of ports, industry, agricultural production and tribal areas. The project improvement includes Widened Road Corridor ? Two Lane + Shoulder (10m paved Road width) and Four laning of selected road sections. There are nine Pragati Path corridors with the total length of 3,710km and improvement for all the roads is completed.