The Union Cabinet, , chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved eight national high-speed road corridor projects totalling 936 km at a cost of ₹50,000 crore, which includes a 4-lane ring road for Ayodhya for pilgrims visiting the Ram Mandir and a bypass for Guwahati that will connect various cities in the north-eastern region.
Here are the eight approved projects
- 4-Lane Kharagpur – Moregram: The 230-km-long greenfield expressway starts from NH-16, near Kharagpur and ends at Morgram (NH-34 & NH-60 Junction) in the state of West Bengal. It is part of the Kharagpur-Siliguri Economic Corridor being developed in West Bengal under Bharatmala Pariyojana.The 4-lane expressway will be built into five packages, at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore.
- 4- Lane Ayodhya Ring Road: In Ayodhya, the 68-km 4-lane access-controlled Ayodhya Ring Road will be developed at a total capital cost of Rs3,935 Crore. The Ring Road is expected to reduce congestion on National Highways passing through the city, — NH 27 (East West Corridor), NH 227 A, NH 227B. NH 330, NH 330A, and NH 135A, thereby enabling fast movement of pilgrims visiting the Ram Mandir.
- 4-Lane Section between Pathalgaon and Gumla of Raipur-Ranchi: The Gumla Section of Raipur-Ranchi National High-speed Corridor, a 137 km 4-lane access-controlled section developed at Rs 4,473 crore cost is expected to enhance connectivity between mining areas in Gumla, Lohardaga, Raigarh, Korba, Dhanbad and industrial zones in Raipur, Durg, Korba, Bilaspur, Bokaro, Dhanbad. The Pathalgaon-Gumla road is poised to become a vital link, fostering closer ties between Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and promoting regional development. The project is eagerly anticipated by residents and businesses alike, who see it as a gateway to new opportunities and growth.
- 6-Lane Kanpur Ring Road: Kanpur Outer Ring Road project is aimed at alleviating traffic congestion in the city and facilitating the development of new areas. The road will span a length of 93.20 km and traverse through the districts of Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat and Unnao
- 6-Lane Tharad – Deesa – Mehsana – Ahmedabad: The 214-km six-lane high-speed corridor between Tharad and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, which will provide connectivity between the other two key national corridors connecting Amritsar with Jamnagar and Delhi and the Mumbai Expressway. This will provide seamless connectivity for freight vehicles originating from industrial regions of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan to the major ports in Maharashtra, such as JNPT and the newly sanctioned Vadhavan port
- 4-Lane Northern Guwahati Bypass and Widening/Improvement of Existing Guwahati Bypass: Guwahati will also get a 121km bypass to be developed at a total capital cost of ₹ 5,729 crore. A major bridge over the river Brahmaputra will also be constructed as part of the project. The road will provide seamless connectivity to long-distance traffic plying on National Highway 27 (or the East West Corridor), which is the gateway to the north-east, a government press statement said, adding that it will also connect major cities such as Siliguri, Silchar, Shillong, and Tezpur.
- 8-Lane Elevated Nashik Phata – Khed Corridor near Pune: The 30 km 8-lane elevated corridor from Nashik Phata to Khed developed on BOT mode at Rs 7,827 crore cost is aimed at providing high-speed connectivity for traffic between industrial centers of Chakan, Bhosari, among others on NH-60 between Pune and Nashik. The project is expected to alleviate the serious congestion around Pimpri-Chinchwad.
- 6-Lane Agra-Gwalior highway: Agra will get a national high-speed corridor that will connect it with Gwalior. It will be 88-km in length and will be developed at a capital cost of ₹ 4,613 crore.