Over the past 10 years, India has built a record 56,700 kilometers of National Highways (NHs). Now, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) plans to focus on improving the quality of road construction and maintenance in 2025. MoRTH is responsible for building, operating, and maintaining these highways across the country.
Since 2013-14, the total length of National Highways has increased from 91,000 km to 146,000 km. V Umashankar, the new Highways Secretary, has held meetings to improve the quality of construction and maintenance.
However, some highways, like the Delhi-Jaipur (NH-48) and the Amritsar-Jamnagar Economic Corridor, have faced criticism on social media for poor quality. In response, the ministry plans to take steps to improve these roads.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has expressed frustration about the poor quality of some highways in the past. To address this, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced a new rating system. This system will assess the performance of the companies responsible for building and maintaining the highways. The ratings will be updated every six months and shared publicly on the NHAI website and social media.
In 2025, NHAI aims to set new standards for building and managing National Highways to make travel safer and smoother for people. Key projects like the long-delayed Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, and Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway are expected to be completed in 2025.
The ministry also plans to move towards a “corridor-based” approach for highway development, focusing on maintaining consistent standards, improving user convenience, and boosting logistics efficiency. This is different from the earlier approach, which focused on individual road projects aimed at reducing local traffic congestion.
A recent study using toll and GSTN data has identified 50,000 kilometers of high-speed highway corridors that will help India become a $30 trillion economy by 2047. By the end of 2024, the ministry aims to have 4,827 kilometers of high-speed corridors in operation. As of December 2024, 4,693 kilometers are already operational.
Additionally, the ministry plans to improve toll collection by using satellite navigation technology to create a barrier-free system. This will allow for a more transparent and efficient toll system.
These efforts are part of the government’s plan to improve the country’s infrastructure and ensure smoother travel for all.
