Urban Mass Transit Company Limited (UMTC) will prepare the detailed project report for the 79.91 kilometre first phase Vizag metro rail project. UMTC emerged as the successful bidder by quoting a price of Rs 5.33 crore. A new DPR will be prepared for nearly 33.5km of the project, including the alternative analysis report.
UMTC will also offer transaction advisory consultancy services for the bidding process management for the project, which will be taken up in a public-private partnership model and selection of a developer on a success fee basis. The state government yesterday (Thursday, 19th March 2020) authorised the Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation to enter into an agreement with the UMTC for availing their services.
AMRC managing director NP Ramakrishna Reddy said UMTC would prepare the DPR in six months. “We will initiate simultaneous bidding process for the metro rail project in the fourth month after the start of the preparation of the DPR. The bidder for the second phase project (60-km) will be finalised by the end of this month. We have received two bids for the preparation of the DPR for the first phase project,” said Reddy.
The length of the first phase project was increased to nearly 80 km from the initially planned 42.5-km project following the state government’s decision of extending the highway corridor to Bhogapuram International Airport. The other side of the highway corridor will also be extended till Steel Plant Junction from the earlier plan of ending it at Gajuwaka.
The proposals of the second phase 60-km project included trackless trams. The tram corridors include NAD Junction-Pendurthi, Steel PlantAnakapalli, Old Post Office-Rushikonda beach, Rushikonda beach-Bheemili. At a time when the state government is planning to make Vizag the executive capital, the metro rail project is expected to boost public transport network of the city.