NHAI to build 20 km a day within next 18 months

National Highways Authority of India today said the government's target of building 20 km of road per day will be achieved within the next 12-18 months.     

In this fiscal, NHAI plans to take road construction to 8-10 km a day from the present 4 km a day, NHAI Chairman Brijeshwar Singh said.     

NHAI intends to increase its road building capacity to 20 km a day within next 12-18 months, he added.     

Speaking on the sidelines of a CII organised conclave, Singh said the Highways Authority is also planning to build 1,000 km of expressways.     

"The expressways that are under active considerations are Delhi-Meerut, Bangalore-Chennai and Kolkata-Dhanbad," the chairman added.     

The government is yet to examine whether the expressways, which are mandated, are commercially viable and what would be the mode of financing them, Singh said.     

When asked if a separate authority for expressways is required, he said, "Such an authority will have a considerable job to do because the Ministry (Road, Transport and Highways Ministry) is already drawing up a plan to have a national grid of expressways."