Govt has come up with the biggest highway expansion plan. Here it is

To cut delays in movement of cargos, and improve economic activities and create jobs, the government has decided to develop 44 highways as “Economic Corridors”, stretching 27,000 km in total.

The stretches will connect all the major hubs of economic activities. With government exploring funding options, including road development cess, loans from agencies and also private investment, the new plan is expected to be completed within six years.

Feeder routes will also be developed to these economic corridors in about 15,000 km. According to sources, to link the 44 economic corridors and Golden Quadrilateral, 40 interconnecting corridors will also be developed. These corridors will carry 80% of the country’s freightage. National highways will be rebranded as national corridors, economic corridors and feeder roads.

"Most of these identified stretches are already part of the national highway network. We need to provide seamless connectivity. The main aim is to provide wider roads for cargo vehicles and necessary facilities and also to equip them with 100% electronic tolling system," a ministry official told TOI.

All these identified stretches will be made into four to six lanes with facilities such as truck lay-by, parking lots and logistics parks."There will be no congestion point throughout the stretches," the official further added.

According to a NHAI official, some of the identified corridors will be Mumbai to Kolkata, Pune to Vijayawada, Jaipur to Indore, Tuticorin to Kochi and Bengaluru to Nellore.

According to NHAI sources, an investment of at least Rs 6 lakh crore will be required by these packages.