Expressway network surges from 93 km to 5,110 km in 11 years: Gadkari, ETInfra
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Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed Parliament on Thursday that the length of access-controlled National High Speed Corridors, including expressways, has surged from a mere 93 km in March 2014 to approximately 5,110 km at present, reports IANS.Of this impressive 5,110 km, 2,636 km is already operational, providing faster and more efficient travel across the country, the minister stated in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.Gadkari said, 'The overall National Highways (NH) network has also witnessed substantial growth, expanding from 91,287 km in March 2014 to a robust 146,342 km today.''This expansion is coupled with a marked acceleration in the pace of highway construction, which has increased from 12 km per day in 2014-15 to a peak of 34 km per day in 2023-24. While the pace is currently at 29 km per day in 2024-25, it still represents a significant improvement,' he further added.Currently, 1,240 national highway projects spanning a total length of 29,400 km are under construction across the country, representing a massive investment of ₹7.8 lakh crore.The Centre has also played a pivotal role in upgrading state roads. Since April 2014, approximately 54,004 km of state roads, including state highways (SHs) and greenfield stretches, have been notified as national highways, informed Gadkari.Minister Gadkari explained that the government considers proposals from various state governments and Union Territories for the declaration of state roads as new National Highways. These decisions are made based on key principles such as connectivity requirements, traffic density, inter-se priority, and synergy with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP).At present, 206 under-construction NH projects, with an estimated cost of ₹91,290 crore, are delayed in Rajasthan and the northeastern states, including Assam. The majority of these projects are scheduled for completion in a phased manner by 2025-26, with only a few expected to extend beyond 2026-27.Notably, one NH project, costing ₹410 crore and passing through Jalore district in Rajasthan, is among those targeted for completion in 2025-26.
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