Road Ministry Plans Highway Expansion With Rs. 20 Trillion Investment

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is revising a Cabinet note for a comprehensive highway construction plan. According to a Mint report, this will happen before the next government is formed.

The first proposal, submitted late last year before the election period began, did not get approval.

The initial endorsement of the Vision 2047 plan is significant for the start of construction of advanced highways, which aim to enhance connectivity across the country. The plan proposes expressways anywhere within 100 to 125 kilometers, which will significantly improve the efficiency and speed of travel.

Involving an investment of Rs 20 trillion, Vision 2047 plans to build more than 75,000 km of highways (50,000 km being access-controlled highways or expressways) over the next 15 years.

Of such highways, only 4,000 km have currently been completed. The plan has five-year and one-year targets, which state the required investments and annual objectives.

The construction of green highways in 2047, which will create infrastructure for green mobility, is an important goal. An example of this effort is the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project, which is currently being built.

The Green Highway will have EV charging stations, battery swapping stations, tree-lined sides, and a median full of shrubs. Also, the scheme aims to enhance road safety and proposes a cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims across the country by using advanced technology to identify and address road accident-prone areas.

“The goal is to establish sustainable, efficient, and safe road infrastructure that meets international standards, enhancing connectivity and mobility to spur socio-economic development,” stated an official.

The scheme aims to revive private investment in highway projects through the BoT (build, operate, transfer) model, which is set to grow significantly after ten years in FY 2025.

Projects completed in the Vision 2047 plan will be incorporated into the Bharatmala-1 initiative. Bharatmala-1, launched in 2017, aimed to build 34,800 km of highways to connect economic hubs across India. Deals for 27,384 km have been signed so far. Vision 2047 will incorporate the rest of the projects and an additional 5,000 km will be planned under Bharatmala Phase-2.

“The highway construction sector in India is poised for robust growth, supported by record government capital expenditure and streamlined processes. This growth will align with modern infrastructure needs, including the development of new green corridors to support the expansion of electric vehicles (EVs),” said Davinder Sandhu, chairman of Primus Partners.

Vision 2047 will incorporate the latest technological approaches in highway planning. MoRTH has already mapped the national and state highway networks on the PM Gatishakti platform, which uses GIS technology.

MoRTH used big data analytics to create a transportation model. It integrated e-way bills, toll transaction data, and GDP projections for the next 25 years. The model will identify frequently congested spots and recommend road improvements to reduce traffic bottlenecks.

The revised Vision 2047 plan is expected to boost India’s economic growth, accelerate highway infrastructure growth, and enhance the country’s transportation network.