India built around 92,000 km national highways in last 9.5 years: MoRTH secretary

The Ministry of Road and Transport Highways (MoRTH) has built around 92,000 km of national highways in the last nine and a half years and by the end of the next month, it will touch 95,000 km, it's Secretary Anurag Jain said on Thursday.

Addressing an event organised by the International Road Federation (IRF), Jain said the use of latest technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, has helped the ministry revolutionise planning and developing vision-based transport models for the future.

The high speed corridors are being built for the next 50 years, keeping in mind the prospective congestion and the needs of the increasing population, he added.

Jain also said the ministry has identified most black spots on the national highways in the country and most of them will be covered up by the end of March 2025.

IRF President Anouar Benazzous said the role of infrastructure planners, designers and contractors is changing fast and they need to be able to embrace new technologies, digital tools, and Intelligent Transport systems (ITS).

IRF President Emeritus K K Kapila said to meet the rapidly growing population and expanding urbanisation, it is imperative to revolutionise road infrastructure development by incorporating modern equipment, cutting-edge technologies, sustainable materials, and comprehensive policy guidelines.