Goverment broadens highways project

Additional 34,000 km of roads to be upgraded

In a bid to improve the highway network in India, the United Progressive Alliance government is contemplating the upgradation of an additional 34,000 kilometres of National Highways, as part of the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP).

At present, 20 per cent of the National Highways continue to be one-lane roads. According to estimates, the cost of converting two-lane highways into four-laned roads works out to around Rs 4 crore per kilometre.

Turning one-lane highways into double-carriage roads is estimated to cost a little over Rs 2 crore per kilometre.

"The details have not been finalised so far. Over the next two months we intend to work out which stretches require upgradation to two or four lanes depending on traffic density," Minister of state for roads and highways KH Muniappa told Business Standard.

The upgradation of 34,000 kilometres of National Highways is expected to be taken up in two phases of 17,000 kilometre each, according to him. The estimates for the projects in phases 4 and 5 of the NHDP will be worked out in due course.

While 14,000 kilometres of highways are to be upgraded to four or six lanes under phase 1 and 2 of the NHDP, another 10,000 kilometres will be upgraded under phase 3, better known as the Pradhan Mantri Bharat Jodo Pariyojana (PMBJP).

The phase 3 stretches were identified on the basis of traffic density and connectivity to centres of economic and tourist importance. The entire NHDP is to be executed by the National Highways Authority of India.

The ministry is also planning to start charging tolls on roads after the project is completed, with the service lanes fully in place.

The Centre is planning to increase the involvement of local authorities while taking up new projects.

"Under Phase I of the NHDP or the Golden Quadrilateral project, the local needs had been ignored, and as a result the projects had not be received well in some parts of the country," Muniappa said.

"There was unhappiness over the lack of concern for local needs, with an inadequate number of under-bridges, flyovers and service lanes being built.

"Other environmentally-friendly steps like planting of fruit-bearing trees on road verges will be considered. Proper communication channels will be built with the local authorities," he added.

The government has made a beginning in this direction, holding regular meetings with Chief Secretaries of the states at regular intervals in order to take care of local interests before planning new projects.

Wide load

• The cost of converting two-lane highways into four-laned roads works out to around Rs 4 crore per kilometre, while turning one-lane highways into double-carriage roads is estimated to cost a little over Rs 2 crore per kilometre
• The upgradation of 34,000 kilometres of National Highways is expected to be taken up in two phases of 17,000 kilometre each. 14,000 kilometres of highways are to be upgraded to four or six lanes