State Road Project Feasibility Report Project Description

CHAPTER 2: PROJECT DESCRIPTION

2.1 BACKGROUND

The Government of Himachal Pradesh (GOHP) has geared-up with an ambitious plan for improving/upgrading the road network of the State in tune with the growth of the economy and infrastructure developments taking place in the other part of the country. In order to materialise this plan, the GOHP through the Government of (GOI) has approached the World Bank (WB) for loan assistance for the upgradation and improvement of the State Highways (SHs) and Major District Roads (MDRs) in the State. The World Bank has therefore agreed to support the project with a loan agreement that in principle includes the implementation of the project conforming to environmental and social safegurad policies of the World Bank and the legal frame work of the country.

The GOHP through the HPRIDC is the executing agency for the Project and establishment and infrastructure of the HP-PWD is to be utilised by the HPRIDC for implementation. The GOHP has appointed the Louis Berger Group Inc. as Design Consultants to assist the HPRIDC. These tasks are linked to the engineering and social aspects of the Project that will be implemented throughout the period of Consultancy agreement.

The project has been conceptualised to implement in several successive stages/phases after detailed engineering, environmental, social and economic impact studies of the 1675 km of project roads. These roads had been selected out of a Strategic Option study (SOS)1 of the 3160kms State road networks in the State of Himachal Pradesh. The entire study involves several stages starting with feasibility studies for the 1675km of road length. Since the State PWD has carried out necessary homework to find out the 413 km of State roads that has all the elements to be graded as the highest priority roads. The study is thus envisaged to take shape and evolve in a more appropriate, practical and useful manner to cater to the needs and wishes of the common people of the State.

2.2 COMMENCEMENT AND DURATION OF SERVICES

The Contract of Consultancy Services for the “Himachal Pradesh State Roads Project, Consultancy Services for Feasibility of 1675Km and Detailed Engineering/Safeguard Assessment of 413 km of Roads under Phase-1 (Package-1)” was signed on 9th December 2005, between the HPRIDC and The Louis Berger Group, Inc.

The services commenced on 06th January 2006, which is the Contract effective date.

Clause 2.3 of the Special Conditions of Contract specifies the project time period of 15 months.

2.3 STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY

The Project will be undertaken in two Phases:

Phase 1 (Project Investment Preparation) will provide the information and assessments necessary for World Bank appraisal of the proposed Project.

1 Detailed Strategic Options Study, Screening & Strategic Option Study for the Proposed Prioritised Improvement of State Roads with the Assistance of World Bank, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Public Works Department, May 2005

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Himachal Pradesh State Road Project Feasibility Report Project Description

Phase II (Project Implementation) will include final design of the remaining roads to be included in the Project, and assistance with project implementation, co-ordination, and strengthening of engineering skills.

The services to be undertaken during preparation of Phase I include:

Package-1:

Part A: Feasibility, environmental and social studies for 1675 km of prioritized roads, identification of about 800km for inclusion in the project and preliminary engineering for about 413 km of roads for taking up in Phase 1 of the Project.

Part B: Carry out the detailed engineering design of about 413 km of the proposed Project road works for upgrading, making extensive use of current national/international "best practices" for these types of road, including the use of modern survey and design techniques. The designs would form the basis for the detailed cost estimates to be used in the revised economic analysis and in the assessment of the total project costs.

Part C: To carry out detailed investigations, preliminary engineering design and produce General Arrangement Drawing, cost estimate of major bridge at Lathiani on Una-Aghar-Jahu road (approx. total length 825m).

The services to be undertaken during preparation of Phase II include:

Package-2: Construction supervision on 413 km of roads and bridges taken under Package 1.

Package-3:

Part A: Carry out the preliminary and detailed engineering design of remaining about 387 km of the proposed Project road works for upgrading, making extensive use of current national/international "best practices" for these types of road, including the use of modern survey and design techniques (e.g. total stations, computer-aided design etc. The designs would form the basis for the detailed cost estimates to be used in the revised economic analysis and in the assessment of the total project costs.

Part B: Construction supervision on 387 km of roads taken under Package 3, Part A.

Through a competitive bidding conducted in November 2005, HPRIDC has selected The Louis Berger Group Inc, USA, to carry out services for the Phase-1, Package-1 component of the Project.

Under Phase-1, Package 1 of the Project, the consulting services include Feasibility Study (FS) for 1675 km of State Highways (SH) and Major Districts Roads (MDR) identified for prioritized up- gradation and improvement in the Strategic Options Study (SOS) undertaken by the Public Works Department (PWD) of Himachal Pradesh (HP) State. Out of the total feasibility study roads, Detailed Project Report (DPR) is to be prepared for 413 km of roads, in two phases.

2.4 LAYOUT OF THE REPORT

This report Phase-1, Package-1, Part A, Task 1 activities is based on the layout presented in the Terms of Reference (TOR) Appendix-A, with some minor re-arrangements to better reflect the order of work which has been carried out. The voluminous data produced during the course of the feasibility study are held as hardcopy and electronic backup in the Consultant’s records for security and ultimate turnover to the Client.

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Himachal Pradesh State Road Project Feasibility Report Project Description

The records are made up of:

A. Traffic Surveys B. Road Inventories C. Topographical Surveys D. Pavement condition Surveys E. Road Roughness Surveys F. Soils and Materials Investigations and Pavement Strength Surveys (Benkelman Beam Deflections) G. Culvert and Bridge Inventory

In addition to the above, Geo-reference surveys and strip mapping surveys were also undertaken.

2.5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Terms of reference calls for a Feasibility Study on approximately 1675 km 1675km of State Highways (SH) and Major District Roads (MDR) for the prioritized upgradation and improvement within the State Highway System. These roads are listed in the TOR, Appendix – A, Annex 1A as follows:

LIST OF ROADS PROPOSED FOR UPGRADATION IMPROVEMENT (FOR FEASIBILITY STUDY) Annex 1A Proposed length for Study Road Sl.No. Name of Road upgradation No. (in km) 1 Mehatpur Una Mubarikpur Daulatpur H.P. boundary Road 32.200 1 (Section Una to Amb) 2 Una Aghar Barsar Jahu Bhambla Mandi-upto Ner Chowk 126.270 2 road 3 Theog Kothkhai Hatkoti Rohroo Chirgaon Sandhasu 98.060 28,29

4 Road (except NH 70 82.980 7 section) 5 Naina Devi Kaula Da Toba 12.220 5 6 Kumarhatti-Sarahan-Nahan (Dosarka) 78.000 6 7 21.500 21,20 Markanda (Khajurna) bridge Suketi park Kala Amb Trilokpur

8 Lal Dhank Paonta Rajban Hatkoti (Section LalDhank to 74.940 8 Shillai except NH) 9 Chailla Sainj Neripul Yashwantnagar Ochhghat Kumarhatti 86.320 38

10 Sanij Chopal Nerwa Shallu (Section Sanij to Chopal). 47.000 32

11 Shallaghat Arki Kunihar Barotiwala 80.400 19 12 Sainj Anni Banjar Aut (Section Sainj to Jalori and Aut to 72.000 37 Banjar) 13 Tattapani Mandi (Section Dhalli to Tatapani) 46.000 24

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Himachal Pradesh State Road Project Feasibility Report Project Description

Proposed length for Study Road Sl.No. Name of Road upgradation No. (in km) 14 Shimla Kunihar Ramshehar Nalagarh Ghanoli (from 11.285 4 Nalagarh to HP Boundary) 15 Dharamshal Dadh Palampur Holta Chadihar Sandhol 33.000 10 (Section Dharamshala to Palampur) 16 Jawalamukhi Dehra Jawali Raja-ka-Talab (Section Dehra to 75.140 27 Raja-ka-Talab) 17 Mubarikpur Dehra Ranital Kotla road (Section Dehra to 59.682 15,16 Ranital and Ranital to Kotla) 18 Nurpur Lahru Tunnuhatti 42.190 34 19 Hamirpur Sujanpur Tihra Thural Maranda 58.990 9 20 Shahpur Sihunta Chowari Jot Chamba Bharmour (Section 53.400 35 Draman to Chowari) 21 Gaggal Chetru Dharamshala Mcleodganj (Section Gaggal to 12.515 3 Dharamshala) 22 Dadh Malan 4.000 11 23 Swarghat Naina Devi Bhakra (Section Kanchimore to 37.000 12 Bhakra) 24 Kaloha Pragpur Daliara Dadasibba Sansarpur (Section 11.200 13 Kaloha to Nehranpukhar) 25 Damtal Kandrori Indora Khatiar 52.000 14 26 Bamta Kandrour 6.660 17 27 Bharwain Chintpurni Kandrori Damtal (Section Bharwain to 32.560 18 Sansarpur Terrace) 28 Chail chowk Gohar Pandoh (Section Dadour to Gohar) 20.325 25

29 Barsar Deothsidh (Section Barsar to Shahtalia) 11.300 26 30 Kufri Chail Kandaghat 57.000 30 31 Mandi Kataula Bajaura 51.000 31 32 Bhawarna Lambagaon Jaisinghpur 26.645 33 33 Kullu Nagar Manali (Left Bank) 39.375 39 34 Ghatasni Bhubhu Jot Kullu 66.570 40 35 Dharampur Kasauli 10.500 43 36 Panjera Bharatgarh 4.660 22 37 Panjera Dehni 9.000 23 38 Approach to proposed Lathiani bridge 4.000 41 39 Swarghat Bilaspur via Jagatkhana (New alignment) 20.375 42 40 Banikhet Dalhousie Khajjiar (Section Banikhet to Dalhousie) 6.205 36 Total 1674.467 Say 1675 km

The proposed project roads are spread over ten of the twelve districts in the State; the two districts excluded are Kinnaur and Lahaul & Spiti. The combined area of influence of ten distrcits will be extensive, and their impact, direct and indirect, will be on majority of the State population and the natural environment.

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Himachal Pradesh State Road Project Feasibility Report Project Description

Initially, 7-km Mahatpur-Una Section was not included in the Project, however, due to its role as a vital link from Punjab, this section was included in Phase-I, Package-1, Part B (DPR 240km) component of the Project, thereby increasing the initial DPR study to 250km.

The Consultants have already completed FS and DPR of 250 km of roads, which include SR1 Mahatpur-Una-Amb, SR2 Una-NerChowk and SR28 Theog-Rohru sections, as a part of Phase 1 of DPR study. The present report deals with feasibility study for 1257 km of roads, which also includes 160 km of Phase 2 of DPR study roads. The prioritization of the FS roads excludes the Phase 2 DPR roads.

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