18 road projects under PM GatiShakti evaluated at meeting chaired by DPIIT Additional Secretary

The 78th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) under the PM Gati Shakti initiative was held in New Delhi to assess eighteen crucial road infrastructure projects, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Friday. The meeting was led by the additional secretary, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Rajeev Singh Thakur.

The meeting focused on evaluating eighteen crucial road infrastructure projects proposed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

These projects, across various states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Bihar, align with the principles of integrated planning outlined in the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP).

The meeting reviews two projects of Madurai-Kollam ICR. This alignment is developed in two distinct projects as the road corridor is passing along two states i.e., Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

This 4-lane corridor spans 129.92 Km (68.30 km in Tamil Nadu and 61.62 km in Kerala). These two projects aim to reduce travel distance and enhance connectivity between major economic hubs, directly benefiting industries and local economies. The corridor is expected to reduce travel distance by 10 km and double the average speed, which will significantly boost freight movement and reduce travel times.

It also evaluated the Madurai-Dhanushkodi Highway, a 46.67 km 4-lane stretch that focuses on improving connectivity to major religious and tourist destinations and enhancing economic activities in the region.

Projects such as the Madurai-Dhanushkodi Highway, Chennai-Mahabalipuram-Pondicherry Corridor, and the alignment of the Thoppur Ghat Section were evaluated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

In Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, it evaluated projects of Belagavi Ring Road (NH848R), Tumkur Bypass, Bhopal-Sagar Economic Corridor, Western Bypass of Gwalior City, and Ayodhya Nagar Bypass.

In Maharashtra and Telangana, it evaluated projects of the Ahmednagar-Solapur Corridor, Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur Corridor, Jagtial-Karimnagar Highways, and Armoor-Jagtial-Mancherial Highway.

Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Bihar are set for critical upgrades, including the Badvel-Nellore Corridor, Sambalpur Ring Road, and the Bakarpur-Manikpur-Sahebgunj-Areraj-Bettiah Highway.

These projects aim to reduce congestion, improve urban mobility, and bolster regional industries and tourism.

The NPG evaluated all eighteen projects based on the principles of PM GatiShakti: integrated development of multimodal infrastructure, last-mile connectivity to economic and social nodes, intermodal connectivity, and synchronized implementation. These projects are anticipated to play pivotal roles in nation-building by integrating various modes of transport and providing substantial socio-economic benefits, thereby contributing to the overall development of the regions.