Central govt sets target for 13,800-km national highways in 2023-24

National Highways in the fiscal year 2023-24

Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced a provisional target for the construction of approximately 13,800km of National Highways in the fiscal year 2023-24. As of June 2023, 2,250 km of NHs have already been constructed, progressing towards achieving the set target.

Gadkari highlighted the improved quality of construction materials used in road projects, including higher CBR soil, higher modulus bitumen/modified bitumen, high-strength concrete, and high-strength steel.

The country's road network has significantly expanded over the past nine years, increasing by about 59 per cent since the current government took office. India now boasts the second-largest road network globally, second only to the US.

Gadkari also emphasized the success of FASTag in toll collection, which has seen a substantial rise in revenues. Toll collections surged from Rs 4,770 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 41,342 crore in 2022-23. With a vision for the future, the central government aims to further increase toll revenue to Rs 130,000 crore by 2030.