Road Projects of India

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Mar 2, 2023, 17:08

India is a republic country with a population of 1.3 billion people and is the second-most populous nation after China. As a result of its enormous size, it has an extensive network of highways and railways to connect India's major cities. It has many Road Projects of India ongoing discussed below.

The total length of National Highways and expressways in India as of 31 March 2017 was 5,079 kilometres (km), accounting for only 2.6% of the total road length in India, which was estimated at 4,6101 km.

Total road length includes other roads like state highways, district roads, and local urban roads. In addition to this, of the total road length, about 40% is what is considered tertiary and unclassified.

Types of Roads

  • National Highways

National Highways are designated highways under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). These roads are reserved for all citizens of India, regardless of their caste, creed, or religion. They serve as the main corridors for interregional and international trade and transport. These highways mostly run to other states as well as to neighbouring countries.

  • State Highways

State highways tend to be shorter and generally have less traffic than national highways. The State Highways are managed by State Highway Development Agencies (SHDA).

  • District Roads

District Roads are classified into three kinds: arterial roads, minor district roads & rural roads. The arterial roads (also known as principal roads) are designed for heavier traffic and are the major routes that connect the cities to the district headquarters. The minor district roads are intended primarily for local traffic and usually consist of small roads that connect villages and towns to major highways. The rural road network is designed to connect villages & towns with commercial establishments, markets & other social facilities, and transport routes serving neighbouring villages/towns.

  • City Roads

City Roads have a particular class in terms of planning and construction. Generally, they have a higher capacity than all other road categories (National highways, state highways, urban city roads, etc. ). Municipal Corporation or Nagar Panchayat manages the city roads.

  • Inter-city Roads

Inter-city roads are second-class roads with the same classification as City Roads.

What is Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana?

The Indian government's flagship public works program is the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). It was launched in 2000 with an allocation of US$1 billion. The scheme was later renamed as National Highway Development Programme (NHSDP), finishing with a total expenditure of approximately US$25 billion. Widely known as the Golden Quadrilateral, the network crisscrosses India and covers almost 90% of its total road length.

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Some Road Projects of India

  • Kai Toll Road

The Kolkata-Chennai Industrial Corridor (KIC) project of the Government of India is a ₹1.07 lakh investment initiative to establish rapid industrial development, beginning on the outskirts of Kolkata and Chennai, in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, respectively. The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), which forms an integral part of the Golden Quadrilateral project, has been exempted from this project. The government aims to complete the construction work within 3 years. The project is regarded as India's biggest infrastructure initiative since independence in 1947

  • Haryana Road

The Greater Hyderabad Metropolitan Area (GHMC) is located in the Indian state of Telangana. GHMC has a total area of 1,621 square kilometres (617 sq mi), out of which 1,447 square kilometres (562 sq mi) are urbanized. The GHMC is spread over five districts – Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medak and Hanumantpur, and Kurnool Districts.[1] It has 9M people, which includes about 5M in Hyderabad city only. The GHMC's gross domestic product per capita stands at ₹14,778 as per 2011 census data and ₹17,723 as per 2013 data. It has a Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of ₹60,084 crores (US$8.25 billion). In erstwhile Hyderabad State, the GHMC's area was 2,807 square kilometres (1,104 sq mi). After the formation of Telangana in TS, it became GHMC with its present boundaries.

  • Chennai Road

The Chennai Metro Rail is a proposed rapid transit system under the Integrated Metro Master Plan 2015–2025 developed by the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation that is estimated to cost ₹6,000 crores (US$917 million) for Phase I and ₹16,000 crores for Phase II.

Road Projects of India's objective

The main objective behind the construction of roads is to improve the availability of resources within a region and between regions.

Some Road Projects of India can be included in Modern megalopoleis, megacities, metropolitan areas, or sometimes city-state. An increase in the road length would ensure high mobility of people and goods. It would also lead to faster movement of goods and services from one place to another.

This would also support improving productivity and output. The importance of roads is increasing since it offers low-cost transportation that does not cause pollution like air or water pollution. The construction and maintenance of roads have been given importance since it ensures economic development and prosperity for the nation and its citizens.

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FAQs on Road Projects of India

Q1. How do the Road Projects of India help the country to develop?

The Road Projects of India help the country develop through the construction of roads and by giving employment opportunities to the people.

Q. What is the Significance of Road Projects of India?

The Road Projects of India are significant because they help the growth of Industrialization, Employment, Tourism, and Communication. Furthermore, the Road Projects of India are also significant because they improve the transportation of goods and services between regions.

Q3. Are Road Projects of India related to any other projects?

The Road Projects of India are related to Integrated Metro Master Plan 2015 – 2025, Golden Quadrilateral Project, and Chennai Metro Rail.

Q4. What are the Types of Roads?

The Types of Roads in India include National Highway, State Highway, District Road, City Road, and Inter-city Road.