Engineering firm HCC today said it has commenced commercial operations of its Rs 1,169-crore Baharampore Farakka Highway in West Bengal.

The company’s infrastructure development arm HCC Concessions has commenced operations on the highway, which is the first leg of the largest public-private-partnership (PPP) highway project in West Bengal and part of NH-34, a statement issued here stated.

The Baharampore Farakka Highway is a 101 km stretch with a 25 year concession period.

“The development of this critical piece of road infrastructure will have a multiplier effect on economic activity in West Bengal, which is the seventh most populated sub-national entity in the world with 90 million people,” HCC Concessions Director Arjun Dhawan said.

HCC Concessions was awarded the contract to develop three contiguous sections of over 250 km length between Baharampore to Dalkhola on NH-34 in West Bengal on a design, build, finance, own and transfer (DBFOT) basis in 2010 involving a total investment of over Rs 3,200 crore.

The Rs 1,378-crore second leg of 102 km between Farakka and Raiganj is also nearing completion and is expected to begin its toll operations later this year, the release said.