Hyderabad: The Union Cabinet on Friday approved eight significant "National High-Speed Road Corridor Projects" spanning 936 kilometers, with a total cost of Rs. 50,655 crore, to enhance logistics efficiency, reduce congestion, and improve connectivity nationwide.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on X: "Transformative boost to India’s infrastructure landscape! The Cabinet's approval of eight National High-Speed Road Corridor Projects at an expenditure of over Rs. 50,000 crore will have a multiplier effect on our economic growth and boost employment opportunities. It also underlines our commitment to a futuristic and connected India."
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, briefing on the Union Cabinet meeting, stated that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Modi, has sanctioned the development of these projects.
The government estimates that implementing these projects will generate 4.42 crore mandays of direct and indirect employment.
The 88-km Agra - Gwalior corridor will be developed in Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mode at `4,613 crore. The 231-km Kharagpur–Moregram corridor will be developed in Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at `10,247 crore. The 214-km Tharad - Deesa - Mehsana - Ahmedabad corridor will be developed in BOT mode at `10,534 crore. The 68-km Ayodhya Ring Road will be developed in HAM at `3,935 crore. The 137-km Pathalgaon - Gumla section will be developed in HAM at `4,473 crore. The 47-km Kanpur Ring Road will be developed in Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Mode (EPC) at `3,298 crore. The 121-km Guwahati Ring Road will be developed in BOT mode at `5,729 crore. The eight-lane elevated Nashik Phata - Khed Corridor will be developed in BOT mode at `7,827 crore. The government emphasised its significant investment in infrastructure over the past decade. The length of National Highways (NH) has increased from 0.91 lakh km in 2013-14 to 1.46 lakh km currently. The average annual pace of NH contract awards has risen from about 4,000 km in 2004-14 to about 11,000 km in 2014-24. Total capital investment in National Highways, including private investment, has surged from Rs. 50,000 crore in 2013-14 to about `3.1 lakh crore in 2023-24.
The eight approved National High-Speed Corridors include:
- Six-lane Agra – Gwalior
- Four-lane Kharagpur – Moregram
- Six-lane Tharad - Deesa - Mehsana – Ahmedabad
- Four-lane Pathalgaon - Gumla section of the Raipur-Ranchi Corridor
- Six-lane Kanpur Ring Road
- Four-lane Northern Guwahati Bypass and Widening/Improvement of the existing Guwahati Bypass
- Eight-lane elevated Nashik Phata - Khed Corridor near Pune
