Context:

• Under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the construction of a 101.515 km long 4-lane access-controlled National Highway-927 (NH-927) from Barabanki to Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh.

Key Features of the Project:

• Length: 101.515 km
• Design: 4-lane access-controlled highway with continuous service roads
• Bypass: 48.28 km to avoid passing through major settlements
• Connected Roads: NH-27, NH-330B, NH-730, SH-13, SH-30B
• Capital Cost: ₹6,969.04 crore (Civil cost: ₹3,485.49 crore; Land acquisition: ₹1,574.85 crore)
• Mode: Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM)

Strategic and Economic Importance:

• Airports: Lucknow and Shravasti
• Railway Stations: Barabanki, Rasouli, Jangirabad, Rafinagar, Bindora, Burhwal, Chowkaghat, Gagharaghat, Jarwal, and Bahraich
• Land Port: Rupaidiha
• Economic Nodes: 1 SEZ and 2 Mega Food Parks
• Social Nodes: 2 Aspirational Districts
• Major Towns / Cities: Barabanki, Ramnagar, Jarwal, Kaiserganj, Kundesar, Fakhrpur, Bahraich
• Upon completion, the highway will strengthen India-Nepal trade, especially via the Nepalganj border, and provide faster access to the Rupaidiha Land Port.
• The project is expected to generate approximately 3.654 million direct and 4.304 million indirect employment opportunities. The Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) in FY-28 is estimated at 28,557 PCU for Package-1 and 21,270 PCU for Package-2.

Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM):

• HAM is a public-private partnership (PPP) model used in infrastructure projects such as road construction.
• It is a hybrid of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) and Build, Operate, Transfer – Annuity (BOT-Annuity).
• Introduced: 2016 by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
• While the private developer arranges 60% through debt and equity.
• Risk Sharing: The model distributes risks—revenue shortfalls are borne by the government, while financial/operational losses are borne by the private developer.