Govt to upgrade eight NHs to world class express highways

To strengthen the country’s road infrastructure, the government will convert eight National Highways, including Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Chandigarh and Delhi- Agra sections, into world-class express highways, Minister of state for Road Transport and Highways Radhakrishnan said in reply to Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The stretches approved for upgradation into expressways include 249 km Delhi-Chandigarh section of NH-1 and NH-22; 334 km of Bangalore-Chennai section of NH-4; 261 km of Delhi- Jaipur section of NH-8, and 277 km Kolkata-Dhanbad stretch of NH-2, said Radhakrishnan.

The NHs to be upgraded also include 66 km Delhi-Meerut section of NH-58; 200 km of Delhi-Agra section of NH-2 and 135 km length of Eastern Peripheral Expressway, he said, adding that feasibility study of above projects are in different stages. The work shall be taken up after finalisation of <g data-gr-id="24">feasibility</g> study and completion of land acquisition activity.

The minister further said, “Centre had earlier approved a plan for constructing 1,000 km of expressways under NHDP PHASE - VI at a cost of Rs 16,680 crore on DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis. The Centre had earlier approved a plan for constructing 1,000 km of expressways under NHDP PHASE - VI at a cost of Rs 16,680 crore on DBFOT.”

In a separate reply to the Lower House, he also said that construction of a six-lane expressway is envisaged at centre with 4-lane highways on both sides from Delhi/Uttar Pradesh border section of NH-24 for which bids have been invited on hybrid annuity mode.

Last month, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said that work on 10 expressway projects will start soon and once completed they will not only reduce travel time between major cities but would also contribute significantly towards the economic growth.