Lok Sabha Question No. 3876 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-08
Subject: National Highway Grids
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: ELUMALAI VELLAIGOUNDER, KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH, K. ASHOK KUMAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3876

ANSWERED ON 8 TH  DECEMBER, 2016

## NATIONAL HIGHWAY GRIDS

3876.   SHRI V. ELUMALAI: SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH: SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR:

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

be pleased to state:

(a) the length of 4 lane and 6 lane National Highways (NHs) across the country;

(b) whether there is any proposal for building scientifc road network pattern in which drivers can take a straight road to reach from one place to another, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is planning to construct NHs grid to cover the entire country, if so, the details thereof; and

(d)  whether  these  NH  grid  will  cover  all  the  ports,  State  capitals  and  site  of  tourists  and  religious places, if so, the details thereof along with the sort of connectivity it would facilitate?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA)

(a) Out of total length of about 1,03,613 km of National Highways (NHs), about 25,127 km length of NHs are having four or more lanes.

(b) to (d) 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.

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.

About 47,890 km length of State Roads have been approved 'In-Principle' for their declaration as new NHs subject to outcome of their Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). Initiatives have been taken for their DPR preparations.

The Ministry has 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, along with integration with Sagarmala, construction / rehabilitation / widening of major bridges and Railway Over Bridges (ROBs) / Railway Under Bridges (RUBs) on NHs, connectivity Improvement Program for Char-Dham (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunothri & Gangothri in Uttarakhand) etc., under proposed new programmes. However, these programmes are yet to be formally launched.