MoRTH's highway construction target increased from 40kms/day to 100kms/day

MoRTH Nitin Gadkari highway construction target

At the Plenary Session on 'Infra - Connectivity: To Fast Track Economy', part of CII Annual Meeting 2021, the Minister of Road Transport & Highways informed that his target is to achieve 100 kms per day of highway construction from the present level of 40 kms per day in coming times.

To reduce vehicular congestion on existing highways, the Ministry is focusing more on greenfield expressways. He added, "Across these green alignments, we want to develop logistics parks, smart cities, industrial hubs, and infrastructure clusters. We need the support of CII to connect us with Foreign Investors willing to participate in these green projects." He sought CII's support and guidance in reducing construction costs for highways through innovative financing models and innovative technology. Within three months, the Ministry is going to finalize the technology for replacing toll plazas in the country, which is going to save hundreds of crores and make travel hassle-free for the commuters.

The Minister opined that the decision-making process and delays are the two main challenges affecting the growth of infrastructure. Therefore, the prime push of this government is to have a time-bound, result-oriented, transparent, and corruption-free system. He also requested Industry to give suggestions on reducing delays.

"Asset monetization is key to meet finances for our projects and we are confident that NHAI will be able to raise ₹1.40 lakh crores per year from existing highway projects", said Shri Gadkari. Emphasizing on replacing diesel fuel, he requested contractors to use green fuels such as ethanol & CNG for construction equipment and offered to provide advances for green construction equipment.