Want to know how some of the highway projects will impact you? Read on to find out!
The light and hearty road trip experience in Bombay to Goa, the intense drama in NH10 and the beautiful cross-cultural anecdotes in Piku and Karwaan – all the movies had one thing in common, highways. After all, one of the best things about a road trip is to drive through the smooth lanes of highways without being constantly interrupted by traffic, congestion and bad road conditions.
To promote this ease of travel, the government has recently launched several initiatives for the construction of newer corridors reducing the commute time by several hours.
These upcoming projects are set to connect various cities of the country. According to reports, the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) has set the deadlines for 23 new projects by 2025. These new corridors will play a crucial role in promoting tourism, trade and commerce across the country.
Upcoming Highway Projects in India
The construction of these new highways will be taken care of by The National Expressways Authority of India (NEAI) operating under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Centre’s National Highways Development Project focuses on expanding the existing highway network and aims to build an additional 18,637 km of greenfield expressways by 2022.
The majority of the investment required for constructing these highways will be funded by the Central Government.
Here are some of the important expressways that the citizens of the country are eagerly waiting for –
Ganga Expressway
This 8-lane express highway of 594 km will be built along the banks of the Ganga river. The expressway aims to connect the major cities of Uttar Pradesh. It will run from Bijauli village in Meerut, and end at Judapur Dandu village in Prayagraj connecting cities like Varanasi, Allahabad, Rae Bareli, Kanpur, Farrukhabad and Bulandshahr. Once completed, the Ganga Expressway will be the second-longest expressway in India.
It will also reduce the travel time between Lucknow to Meerut by 5 hours. One can travel from Prayagraj in east UP to Meerut in west UP in just 6.5 hours, ensuring seamless connectivity between the major tourism towns of UP.
Length – 594 km
Projected completion year – 2025
Chambal Expressway
This 404 km-long expressway will be an alternative route from Kanpur to Kota passing through cities and towns of Madhya Pradesh finally joining the Delhi-Mumbai corridor. The highway will also provide cross-connectivity with the Golden Quadrilateral’s Delhi-Kolkata corridor, North-South Corridor, East-West Corridor and Delhi-Mumbai -Expressway.
The route will long provide an alternative route from Kanpur to Kota through Madhya Pradesh, which will then join the Delhi-Mumbai corridor. This expressway not only aims to benefit the farmers of the connecting cities but also promotes tourism by providing better connectivity to the existing Golden Quadrilateral.
Length – 404 km
Projected completion year – 2022
Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway
The Bangalore–Chennai Expressway will connect the many cities, towns and villages between the capital cities of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. A proposed 258 km-long project, it will run from Hoskote in Bangalore Metropolitan Area to Sriperumbudur just outside Greater Chennai Metropolitan Area. Vehicles will be allowed to reach 120 km/h on this highway.
After completion, the transit time between the two cities will be reduced by two and a half hours.
Length – 258 km
Projected completion year – 2023
Delhi–Mumbai Expressway
Delhi–Mumbai Expressway will connect DND Flyway in Delhi to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra via Dausa, Kota, Ratlam, Vadodara and Surat. The highway will cross through the towns of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The highway is proposed to be 1,350 km long with an 8-lane wide network.
Length - 258 km
Projected completion year - 2023
Kharagpur-Siliguri Expressway
The Kharagpur-Siliguri expressway will be four-laned, spread across a distance of 675 km. This is a critical corridor for trade, commerce and tourism. Siliguri caters as the gateway for Sikkim and the Darjeeling Hills. It currently takes around 15-20 hours to cover the distance between Kolkata and Siliguri. Upon completion of the highway, the time will reduce to about 7 hours!
Length - 675 km
Projected completion year - 2024
How will the new highway developments impact you?
The new developments are in full swing. With hopes of finishing the projects well within the stipulated deadlines, the future of road travel looks good. Here’s how the new highways will positively impact the lives of citizens.
- Widened highways - The widening of roads will ensure the seamless movement of cargo trucks, heavy transport vehicles and public transport vehicles. This will allow the smooth passage of vehicles through high traffic areas.
- Reduction of travel time - A report by TOI says the new highway projects can reduce the transit time by 50%.
- Ease of inter-state travel - The reduction of transit time and smooth roads will encourage people to consider inter-state road travel as a good and viable alternative option.
- Top-notch amenities - After completion, the highways will be taken care of by toll operators ensuring that the roads are equipped with all amenities.
In conclusion, the developmental efforts by the NHAI give hope to commuters from across the country. Not only will it help with the ease of transport of goods and materials promoting the ease of doing business but also help road trip enthusiasts explore the various cultures of the different states through their plans.
Which highway projects are you eagerly waiting for its completion? How do you think it will impact the commuters? Let us know in the comments below.
Last Updated on January 31, 2024 by
