Pace Of National Highway Construction Soars To 25 Km Per Day As Centre Targets 13,000 Km This Fiscal Year

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has constructed 7,658 km of national highways (NHs) this financial year till January, up from the 6,803 km constructed in financial year 2022-23.

This means that they have been averaging about 25 kilometres per day this year until January, a notable improvement from around 22.23 kilometres daily in the same period last year.

Between 2014-15 and 2021-22, there's been a consistent increase in NH construction pace, thanks to a focused approach. In 2014-15, it was about 12 kilometres per day, peaking at 36.5 kilometres per day in 2020-21, before dipping to around 29 kilometres per day in 2021-22.

The recent upswing in the construction pace is encouraging, especially since the average rate had been stagnant.

With an uptick in average construction, the ministry is hopeful of reaching the target of 13,000 kilometres of national highways this fiscal year, ending on 31 March.

In the previous fiscal year, the ministry built 10,331 kilometres of national highways. Before that, the figures were: 10,237 kilometres in 2019-20, 13,327 kilometres in 2020-21, 10,457 kilometres in 2021-22, and 10,331 kilometres in 2022-23.

However, the progress of road building may slow down in the upcoming months as the current Lok Sabha term will end in May, with elections slated for March-April. During the polling phase, the awarding of new projects will halt due to the model code of conduct (MCC), but work on already awarded projects will continue