The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sanctioned the development of eight critical National High-Speed Road Corridor projects, spanning 936 km with an estimated capital expenditure of Rs 50,655 crore. These initiatives are set to boost logistics efficiency, decrease congestion, and enhance connectivity nationwide, creating approximately 4.42 crore mandays of employment.
- Six-Lane Agra-Gwalior National High-Speed Corridor: This 88 km corridor will be built on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis, fully access-controlled with six lanes, costing Rs 4,613 crore. It aims to double traffic capacity on the Agra-Gwalior section of the North-South Corridor (Srinagar-Kanyakumari), improving connectivity to key tourist sites in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The project will shorten the distance between Agra and Gwalior by 7 percent and cut travel time by 50 percent, significantly reducing logistics costs.
- Four-Lane Kharagpur-Moregram National High-Speed Corridor: This 231km corridor will be developed in Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a cost of Rs 10,247 crore. The new route will expand traffic capacity fivefold between Kharagpur and Moregram, enhancing connectivity between states like West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh and the north-eastern region. Travel time for freight vehicles will drop from 9-10 hours to 3-5 hours, lowering logistics costs.
- Six-Lane Tharad-Deesa-Mehsana-Ahmedabad National High-Speed Corridor: Spanning 214 km, this corridor will also be developed in BOT mode, costing Rs 10,534 crore. It connects key National Corridors in Gujarat, linking industrial regions in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan to major ports in Maharashtra. The project will cut the distance between Tharad and Ahmedabad by 20 percent and travel time by 60 percent, enhancing logistics efficiency.
- Four-Lane Ayodhya Ring Road: This 68 km ring road will be built in HAM at a cost of Rs 3,935 crore. It aims to alleviate congestion on National Highways passing through Ayodhya, ensuring fast movement for pilgrims visiting the Rama Mandir. The road will provide seamless connectivity for tourists arriving from major airports and railway stations.
- Four-Lane Pathalgaon-Gumla Section of Raipur-Ranchi National High-Speed Corridor: This 137 km section will be developed in HAM, costing Rs 4,473 crore. It will improve connectivity between mining areas and industrial zones in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, enhancing the economic corridor from Raipur to Dhanbad.
- Six-Lane Kanpur Ring Road: This 47 km section will be developed in Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode, costing Rs 3,298 crore. The ring road will segregate long-distance traffic from city-bound traffic, improving logistics efficiency between Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states.
- Four-Lane Northern Guwahati Bypass and Existing Bypass Improvement: The 121 km Guwahati Ring Road will be developed in BOT mode at a cost of Rs 5,729 crore. It includes constructing a major bridge over the Brahmaputra, easing congestion and providing seamless connectivity to long-distance traffic on National Highway 27.
- Eight-Lane Elevated Nashik Phata-Khed Corridor near Pune: This 30 km elevated corridor will be developed on BOT, costing Rs 7,827 crore. It will provide high-speed connectivity between industrial centres near Pune, reducing congestion around Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Over the past decade, India has heavily invested in world-class road infrastructure. The length of National Highways has increased from 0.91 lakh km in 2013-14 to 1.46 lakh km currently. The average annual pace of National Highway construction has risen from 4,000 km in 2004-14 to 9,600 km in 2014-24, with total capital investment increasing six-fold.
The government’s corridor-based approach focuses on consistent standards and logistics efficiency, identifying 50,000 km of High-Speed Highway Corridors to support India’s goal of becoming a $30 plus trillion economy by 2047.
Cover photo: https://nhai.gov.in
