Contracts for 7,300 km roads to be awarded by March-end: Joshi

The government today said contracts for laying over 7,300 km roads will be awarded by the end of current financial year.

"...Before the year ends, we will award concessions for over 7,300 km (roads). This will harness private investment of over Rs 50,000 crore," Road, Transport & Highways Minister C P Joshi said at the 'Conference on Public Private Partnership (PPP) in National Highways: Challenges & Opportunities' here.

He said that out of India's highways network of 71,000 km, upgradation projects for about 16,000 km have been completed, while about 15,000 km are in different stages of implementation of being awarded.

"This leaves about 40,000 km which continues to suffer from neglect ... In particular 20,000 km comprise single lane roads which are mostly in less developed regions," he said.

The minister said these single lane highways would be developed into two-lanes through turnkey EPC contracts. He also informed that concessions for six laning of about half of Golden Quadrilateral have been awarded.