Four-laning of the Golden Quadrilateral and NS-EW Corridors
(NHDP I & II)
The NHDP Phase I and Phase II comprise of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) linking the four metropolitan cities in India i.e. Delhi-Mumbai-Chennai-Kolkata, the North-South corridor connecting Srinagar to Kanyakumari including the Kochi-Salem spur and the East-West Corridor connecting Silchar to Porbandar besides port connectivity and some other projects on National Highways. Four-laning of the Golden Quadrilateral is nearing completion. The contracts for projects forming part of NS-EW corridors are being awarded rapidly for completion by December 2009.
Four-laning of 10,000 kms (NHDP-III)
The Union Cabinet has approved the four-laning of 10,000 km of high density national highways, through the Build, Operation & Transfer (BOT) mode. The programme consists of stretches of National Highways carrying high volume of traffic, connecting state capitals with the NHDP Phases I and II network and providing connectivity to places of economic, commercial and tourist importance.
Two laning of 20,000 km (NHDP-IV)
With a view to providing balanced and equitable distribution of the improved/widened highways network throughout the country, NHDP-IV envisages upgradation of 20,000 kms of such highways into two-lane highways, at an indicative cost of Rs.25,000 crore. This will ensure that their capacity, speed and safety match minimum benchmarks for national highways.
Six-laning of 6,500 kms (NHDP-V)
Under NHDP-V, the Committee on Infrastructure has approved the six-laning of the four-lane highways comprising the Golden Quadrilateral and certain other high density stretches, through PPPs on BOT basis. These corridors have been four-laned under the first phase of NHDP, and the programme for their six-laning will commence in 2006, to be completed by 2012. Of the 6,500 kms proposed under NHDP-V, about 5,700 kms shall be taken up in the GQ and the balance 800 kms would be selected on the basis of approved eligibility criteria.
Development of 1000 km of expressways (NHDP-VI)
With the growing importance of certain urban centres of India, particularly those located within a few hundred kilometers of each other, expressways would be both viable and beneficial. The Committee on Infrastructure has approved 1000 k.m. of expressways to be developed on a BOT basis, at an indicative cost of Rs.15,000 crore. These expressways would be constructed on new alignments.
Other Highway Projects (NHDP-VII)
The development of ring roads, byepasses, grade separators and service roads is considered necessary for full utilization of highway capacity as well as for enhanced safety and efficiency. For this, a programme for development of such features at an indicative cost of Rs.15,000 crore, has been mandated.
Accelerated Road Development Programme for the North East Region
The Accelerated North-East Road Development Project is under consideration, which will mainly provide connectivity to all the State capitals and district headquarters in the north-east. The proposal would include upgrading other stretches on NH and state highways considered critical for economic development of the north-east region.
Institutional Initiatives
Steps are being taken for restructuring and strengthening of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is the implementing agency for the National Highways programme. Institutional mechanisms have been established to address bottlenecks arising from delays in environmental clearance, land acquisition etc. A special focus is being provided for traffic management and safety related issues through the proposed Directorate of Safety and Traffic Management. It is expected that the sum total of these initiatives should be able to deliver an efficient and safe highway network across the country.
In order to specify the policy and regulatory framework on a fair and transparent basis, a Model Concession Agreement(MCA) for PPPs in national highways has been mandated. It is expected that this common framework, based on international best practices, will significantly increase the pace of project award as well as ensure an optimal balance of risk and reward among all project participants.