Over 19,800 km of Highways Completed Under Bharatmala: Nitin Gadkari

The Bharatmala Pariyojana, India’s ambitious highway development program, has made significant progress, with projects covering a total length of 26,425 km awarded so far. Of this, 19,826 km have already been constructed, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply earlier this week.

Approved by the central government in 2017, the Bharatmala Pariyojana aims to enhance logistics efficiency and connectivity across the country. The initiative focuses on improving access to tribal regions, aspirational districts, and areas affected by Left Wing Extremism while also ensuring safer transportation networks by reducing accidents on highways.

The project also emphasizes the development of high-speed corridors, significantly cutting down travel time between key economic hubs. Various industrial zones, National Master Plan (NMP) nodes, Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs), ports, and airports are being integrated into these corridors for seamless connectivity.

As of February 2025, a total of 6,669 km of high-speed greenfield corridors have been awarded, with 4,610 km already constructed.

Regarding the quality and safety standards of National Highways (NHs), Gadkari stated that all works are carried out in accordance with guidelines, manuals, and codes set by the Indian Roads Congress and the specifications for road and bridge works.

"Necessary road safety measures are taken during design, construction, operation, and maintenance stages. Further, guidelines have been issued for regular safety audit of all NHs at design, construction, pre-opening stage of NH projects as well as on existing NHs for ensuring road safety," he said.

The government is also integrating smart technologies in highway construction, such as Automated and Intelligent Machine-aided Construction (AI-MC), LIDAR, and drone-based analytics, to improve efficiency and project execution.

In response to another query about the PM Gati Shakti initiative, Gadkari revealed that 115 NH and road projects spanning approximately 13,500 km, with an estimated investment of ₹6.38 lakh crore, have been reviewed using the PM Gati Shakti NMP Portal. These projects were assessed within the Network Planning Group (NPG) framework of PM Gati Shakti.

According to the minister, this approach has led to better planning and execution of infrastructure projects, reducing both the time and cost associated with project design, alignment, clearances, and approvals.