Highways construction touches record 36.4 km a day: Nitin Gadkari

The feat could be achieved despite the Covid-19 pandemic with the construction of over 13,000 km of highways

The construction of national highways has reached an all-time high of 13,298 km in 2020-21, which translated to around 36.4 km per day.

"This is a world record where we achieved to build 36.4 km of the highways per day," Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari told reporters.

In the current fiscal, the government aimed to build 40 km national highways per day, he said.

The increase in the pace of highway construction is significant given the slump in construction activity during Q1 FY 21, due to the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.

In April and May 2020, there was no construction activity due to lockdown. Despite that the National Highway Authority of India able to achieve this, he said.

Gadkari also said at present, highway projects worth Rs 7.89 lakh crore are under construction across the country.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the 2021-22 budget provided a capital allocation of Rs 1,08,230 crore to the ministry of road transport and highways against an allocation of Rs 81,975 crore in 2020-2021.

Over the last 7 years, the length of National Highways has gone up by 50% from 91,287 km (as of April 2014) to 1,37,625 km (as of 20 March 2021), the Road Transport Ministry said in a statement.

Total budgetary outlay increased by 5.5 times, from INR 33,414 crore in fiscal 2015 to Rs 1,83,101 crore in fiscal 2022.

The sanctioned amount has increased by 126% in Financial Year 2021 over the Financial Year 2020 despite Covid-19 related impact. Sanctioned length in kilometres has also increased by 9% in the Financial Year 2021 over the Financial Year 2020.

Average annual project award (annual average award length) during Financial Year 2015 to Financial Year 2021 has increased by 85% compared to FY10 to FY14 said a statement.

Average annual construction (average annual construction length) during FY2015 to FY2021 has increased by 83% compared to FY2010 to FY2014

The cumulative cost of ongoing project works has increased by 54% at the end of the Fiscal Year 2021 compared to the Fiscal Year 2020 (as of March 31st)