Cabinet approves 8 major highway projects including ring road in Ayodhya; total cost pegged at Rs 50,655 crore

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the development of eight access-controlled national highway projects with a total length of 936 km. These eight highway projects would cost Rs 50,655 crore, the government said.

The government said it will ensure land acquisition needs are least. As far as possible, the projects will be aligned brownfield, Union Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a press briefing.

The government believes implementation of these eight projects will generate an estimated 4.42 crore man-days of direct and indirect employment.

The eight projects are 6-Lane Agra-Gwalior highway, 4-Lane Kharagpur - Moregram, 6-Lane Tharad - Deesa - Mehsana - Ahmedabad, 6-Lane Tharad - Deesa - Mehsana - Ahmedabad, 4-Lane Section between Pathalgaon and Gumla of Raipur-Ranchi, 6-Lane Kanpur Ring Road, 4-Lane Northern Guwahati Bypass and Widening/Improvement of Existing Guwahati Bypass, and 8-Lane Elevated Nashik Phata - Khed Corridor near Pune.

In Ayodhya, the 68-km 4-lane access-controlled Ayodhya Ring Road will be developed at a total capital cost of Rs3,935 Crore. The Ring Road is expected to reduce congestion on National Highways passing through the city, -- NH 27 (East West Corridor), NH 227 A, NH 227B. NH 330, NH 330A, and NH 135A, thereby enabling fast movement of pilgrims visiting the Ram Mandir.

The Ring Road will also provide seamless connectivity to national and international tourists arriving from Lucknow International Airport, Ayodhya Airport and major railway stations in the city.

In Guwahati, the gateway to northeast India, a 121-km ring road will be developed at a total capital cost of Rs 5,729 Crore in three sections -- 4-lane Access-Controlled Northern Guwahati Bypass (56 km), widening of the existing 4-lane bypass on NH 27 to 6 lanes (8 km), and improvement of the existing bypass on NH 27 (58 km).

A major bridge over river Brahmaputra will also be constructed as a part of the project. The Guwahati Ring Road will provide seamless connectivity to long-distance traffic plying on National Highway 27 (the East-West Corridor). The Ring Road will ease congestion on major National Highways around Guwahati, connecting major cities or towns in the region - Siliguri, Silchar, Shillong, Jorhat, Tezpur, Jogigopha, and Barpeta.

Infrastructure development is the foundation for a country's economic prosperity and is critical for improving the quality of life of its citizens. Every rupee spent on infrastructure development has a multiplier effect of about 2.5-3.0 times on GDP.

Realizing the importance of infrastructure in overall economic growth of the country, Government of India has been investing heavily in building world-class road infrastructure in the country over the last ten years.

"The length of National Highways (NH) has increased abourl.6 times from 0.91 lakh km in 2013-14 to 1.46 lakh km currently. There has been a significant increase in pace of award and construction of National Highways in the country in the last 10 years," the government said in a statement.

Similarly, the average annual construction of National Highways has also increased by about 2.4 times from about 4,000 km in 2004-14 to about 9,600 km in 2014-24. The total capital investment in National Highways including private investment has increased by 6 times from Rs 50.000 Crore in 2013-14 to about Rs 3.1 Lakh Crore in 2023-24.

Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari posted on X, "Under the chairmanship of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, the Union Cabinet has sanctioned the construction of the 231 km long, 4-lane access-controlled Kharagpur-Moregram National High-Speed Corridor, at a cost of Rs 10,247 crore.

"This project will reduce the travel distance from 265 km to 231 km, cutting travel time for freight vehicles from 9-10 hours to 3-5 hours. It will enhance connectivity for six districts, including Murshidabad and Birbhum, and provide better access to key economic zones," Gadkari posted on X.