Centre approves 8 high-speed road corridors worth Rs 50,655 crore

New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS) In a bid to improve logistics efficiency, reduce congestion and enhance connectivity across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet on Friday approved eight National High-Speed Road Corridor Projects, spanning 936 km with a total investment of Rs 50,655 crore.  

The implementation of these eight projects will generate an estimated 4.42 crore man-days of direct and indirect employment, the government said.

PM Modi said in a post on X that this is a transformative boost to India’s infrastructure landscape.

“The Cabinet's approval of 8 National High-Speed Road Corridor Projects at an expenditure of over Rs 50,000 crore will have a multiplier effect on our economic growth and boost employment opportunities,” the Prime Minister said.

“It also underlines our commitment to a futuristic and connected India,” he added.

The projects include six-lane Agra-Gwalior National High-Speed Corridor; four-lane Kharagpur-Moregram National High-Speed Corridor; six-lane Tharad-Deesa-Mehsana-Ahmedabad National High-Speed Corridor; four-lane Ayodhya Ring Road; a five-lane section between Pathalgaon and Gumla on the Raipur-Ranchi National High-Speed Corridor; six-lane Kanpur Ring Road; four-lane Northern Guwahati Bypass; and widening/improvement of the existing Guwahati Bypass and Eight-lane elevated Nashik Phata-Khed Corridor near Pune.

The government also said that every rupee spent on infrastructure development has a multiplier effect of about 2.5-3 times on GDP.

Commenting on the announcement of the Ayodhya Ring Road project, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said in a post on X: "Chaired by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji, the Union Cabinet approved the 68 km long, 4-lane access-controlled Ayodhya Ring Road at a cost of Rs 3,935 crore.

"This road will enhance access for pilgrims traveling to Shri Ram Mandir, situated 4 km away from the proposed Ring Road. It will alleviate congestion by diverting long-distance traffic and improving local mobility.

"Additionally, the Ring Road will improve connectivity to Inland Waterways (NW 40) via Naya Ghat, facilitating efficient multimodal freight transport."