The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has selected Larsen & Toubro Infrastructure Development Projects (L&T IDPL) in a bidding process to upgrade two adjacent road sections on National Highway 6 (NH 6) for a total cost of INR48bn ($864.8m).

L&T IDPL will upgrade the two-lane road sections, stretching 484km, into four lanes on a build, operate and transfer basis. The contract also includes constructing bridges, flyovers, toll plazas, bypasses, overbridges and underpasses.

The widened road sections of the NH6 will reduce driving time and congestion, as well as improve safety.

L&T IDPL’s separate special purpose vehicles (SPVs) subsidiaries have signed a concession agreement with NHAI for a period of 20 years, which includes a construction period of 30 months.

The first section of the road is 275km long and extends from Amravati to Jalgaon, while the second project travels 209km from Jalgaon to the Maharashtra / Gujarat border near Surat.

L&T IDPL will also build other facilities, such as guard rails, bus shelters, crash barriers, crane services and ambulances.

The NH 6 is called the Great Eastern Road and passes through Maharashtra, Gujarat, Orissa and Chattisgarh. The two adjacent sections of the highway are key East-West links that connect the West Indian city of Surat in Gujarat to Kolkata, an East Indian city in West Bengal.

The upgraded projects will also progress development in the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra.

NHAI is an autonomous agency of the Government of India that is responsible for the management of a network of national highways.