The Hindu : National : Phase 4 of highway project takes off

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 05, 2005

National

National

Phase 4 of highway project takes off

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 4. The Government today announced the fourth phase of National Highway Development Project that envisages broadening of 20,000-km of existing National Highways by the end of 11th Five Year Plan period.

Beyond Phase I, II and III, "the Government in the IVth phase plans to upgrade 20,000-km of National Highways to a minimum 2-lane with paved shoulders," the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, T. R. Baalu, said addressing an industry conference on transport sector.

He said that another 22,000 km of remaining National Highways would also be upgraded in NHDP V and VI phases.

According to him, the Cabinet is expected to take up for approval a Rs. 55,000 crore NHDP III involving four-laning of 10,000-km of National Highways and a Rs. 7,931 crore package for development of 6396-km of National Highways and other roads in the north-eastern States within a few weeks.

Immediately after the Cabinet approval of NHDP-III, the Ministry would initiate the process of getting Public Investment Board approval of NHDP-IV estimated to cost Rs. 35,000 crore, he said.

Significantly, the government plans to upgrade whole of the 65,569-km National Highway network over the next 10 years. The entire upgrading programme would need about Rs. 172,000 crore, the Minister said.

Four-laning

NHDP Phase I, called the Golden Quadrilateral, involves 4/6 laning of 5846-km National Highways between Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata while the 7300-km Phase-II, the North-South and East-West Corridors, will connect Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Silchar to Porbandar. Phase-I of NHDP is targeted for completion by the year-end and Phase-II by 2007.

NHDP-III would aim at improving and upgrading 10,000 km of single lane and two-lane roads and providing connectivity of State capitals, ports and cities in the tourist circuit.

Besides, two other projects are being launched to build 1,000 km of new expressways and 5,000 km of six-lane roads where traffic volumes are very high to keep pace with the requirement of transport infrastructure for a 7-8 per cent economic growth target, transport, he said adding that infrastructure too has to grow at least at the same pace if not more.

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