Lok Sabha Question No. 2951 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-04
Subject: NH Corridors
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2951

ANSWERED ON 04 TH   JANUARY, 2018

## NH CORRIDORS

## 2951. SHRI RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सडक परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

(a) whether India has a network of more than one lakh kms. of National Highways, but it lacks scientific road network pattern and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(b) whether 27 vertical and horizontal National Highway corridors intersecting one another at every 250 kms. have been constructed by the National Highways Authority of India and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether most of the roads in these corridors are of one lane or two lane and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to convert these roads into four lane roads and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken by the Government to improve connectivity in each area besides improving highway connectivity with major ports of the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI MANSUKH L.MANDAVIYA)

(a) The  total  length  of  National  Highways  (NHs)  in  the  country  is  about  1,20,144  km. State  roads  are  declared  as  new  NHs  from  time  to  time  on  the  basis  of  well  established principles;  the  criteria  for  State  roads  for  declaration  as  new  NHs  include  roads  running through length / breadth of the country, connecting adjacent countries, National Capitals with State  Capitals  /  mutually  the  State  Capitals,  major  ports,  non-major  ports,  large  industrial centers  or  tourist  centers,  roads  meeting  very  important  strategic  requirement  in  hilly  and isolated  area,  arterial  roads  which  enable  sizeable  reduction  in  travel  distance  and  achieve substantial  economic growth thereby, roads which help opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly regions (other than strategically important ones), achieving a National Highways grid of 100 km, etc.

(b) to (e) The  National  Highways  Authority  of  India  (NHAI)  had  made  a  preliminary attempt in identification of primary NH network comprising of 27 North-South and East-West grids  for  total  length  of  about  38,700  km  with  average  network  spacing  of  about  250  km.

However, declaration of State Roads as new NHs are done from time to time keeping in view the requirements of connectivity, inter-se priority and availability of funds. Further, decision for  upgradation  of  existing  NH  Network  to  4-lane  standards  are  taken  depending  upon  the traffic density, terrain type, inter-se priority and availability of funds.

The Ministry had taken up detailed review of NHs network with a view to develop the road connectivity to Border areas, development of Coastal roads including road connectivity for  Non-Major  ports,  improvement  in  the  efficiency  of  National  Corridors,  development  of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes along with integration with Sagarmala, etc., under 'Bharatmala Pariyojana'. Under this proposal, the Ministry has identified stretches for  development  of  about  26,200  km  length  of  Economic  Corridors,  8,000  km  of  Inter Corridors, 7,500 km of Feeder Routes, 5,300 km Border and International connectivity roads, 4,100  km  Coastal  and  Port  connectivity  roads,  1,900  km  Expressways,  National  Corridor Efficiency improvement by development of ring roads around 28 cities, decongestion of about 125 choke points and 66 congestion points, development of 35 nos. of Multimodal Logistics Parks.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal for investment  approval  for  Phase-I  of  'Bharatmala  Pariyojana'  during  its  meeting  held  on 24.10.2017.  'Bharatmala Pariyojana' Phase-1 includes development of about 9,000 km length of Economic corridors, about 6,000 km length of Inter-corridor and feeder roads, about 5,000 km length of National Corridors Efficiency improvements, about 2,000 km length of Border and International connectivity roads, about 2,000 km length of Coastal and port connectivity roads, about 800 km length of Expressways and balance length of about 10,000 km of roads under  National  Highways  Development  Project  (NHDP).    The  programme  is  targeted  for completion in 2021-2022.

The Ministry has also taken up development of NHs/roads under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for the North East Region (SARDP-NE) including Arunachal Pradesh Package of Roads, Special Programme for Development of Roads in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas, National Highways Interconnectivity Improvement Project (NHIIP), etc.

Development of about 340 km length of NH / roads have been completed for providing connectivity to major ports in the country under NHDP Phase-I and other programmes. Further, road connectivity of about 17.2 km to International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) at  Vallarpadam  in  Kerala  has  also  been  completed.  Two  projects  in  about  9.35  km  length (balance portion of Mormugao Port Road and Vishakhapatnam Port Road) have been awarded and work is in progress.

Apart from this, the balance portion of Chennai Ennore Port Road project in about 0.9 km length is in progress.

The project  from  Chennai  Port  to  Maduravoyal  was  held  up  due  to  litigation.  It  has since been terminated. Initiatives have been taken up for restructuring of the project, change in alignment and preparation of Detailed Project Report.

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