Ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Centre has decided to invest about Rs75,000 crore in augmenting highway infrastructure in the State. There are 60 national highways with a total length of 8,483 km in Uttar Pradesh, out of which 4,529 km are with NHAI and 3,143 km with the State PWD, while no objection certificate is awaited for 10 highways totalling 811 km.
Significantly, the Road Transport Ministry also said the work is in progress on the ambitious plan to connect religious places, that includes a Rs11,700-crore project to link char-dhams, besides Buddhist Circuit and other schemes, including a new alignment for Kailash Mansarovar. The project also includes developing of Ram-Van-Gaman and Ram- Janaki Marg in Uttar Pradesh, under which improved connectivity is provided in 262 km and 218 km, respectively.
"Ministry of Road Transport and Highways through National Highways Authority of India and State Public Works Department shall invest approximately an amount of Rs74,794 crore in the State in next two years," Road Transport and Highways Ministry said in a statement. Eight major projects worth Rs6,218 crore having a length of 865 km, were completed in the State in the last two years.
A ministry official said 31 major projects are underway with a total length of 2,156 km with total project cost (TPC) of Rs19,436 crore. Twenty four major projects were awarded during 2014-15 and 2015-16, with a total length of 1,293 km and TPC of Rs16,949 crore. The official said 15 projects are likely to be awarded in the next 12 months with a length of 840 km with TPC of Rs6,790 crore.
Besides 1,400 km of National Highways are under DPR (Detailed Project Report) stage and civil construction work is likely to be awarded in the next two years for about Rs14,000 crore.
"Under CRF (Central Road Fund) and schemes, a total number of 79 Projects have been sanctioned amounting to Rs3,035 crore during 2015-16 and 2016-17... Thirty five National Highways with 2,591 km length have been approved in-principle. MORTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) shall invest an amount of about Rs25,910 crore to develop these National Highways," said a statement from the Road Ministry.
"National Highway Connectivity Improvement Programme for Char-Dham in Uttarakhand includes the development of all- weather roads leading to Chardham -- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri & Gangotri in Uttarakhand... Seven stretches with a length of 889 km are under DPR (detailed project report)," Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement. The total project cost for the scheme is Rs11,700 crore.
To enhance the safety of road users, provisions like widening of narrow and geometrically deficient National Highways to two-lane carriageway, protection of landslide hazard zones, construction of bypasses, long bridges, tunnels and elevated corridors are being made, it said.
This apart, to make Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage easy, a route through Ghatiabagarh-lipulekh Road in Uttarakhand is being made. Besides, the ministry is developing roads at various places to provide connectivity to Buddhist Circuit, under which the places which fall on Buddha circuit including Vaishali, Patna, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Kahalgaon and Vikramshila, are provided with connectivity, according to ministry statement. The extended circuit includes Bodh Gaya and Vikramshila in Bihar besides Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kapilvastu, Sankisa and Piparvah in Uttar Pradesh.