Highway construction slows down, one-fourth target achieved till September

The Covid-19 pandemic and an unusually long rainy season have kept the authorities from reaching the annual highway construction target of 12,000 km

Compared to the annual target of 1,200 km in the current financial year (FY23), only 3,559 km of highways were constructed till September, according to data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, as reported by Mint. Only one-fourth of the target has been met, which is lower than the 3,824 km constructed till September in pandemic-hit 2021.

According to the report, the slowdown is visible in construction and in awarding contracts. In the first six months of 2022, 4,092 km of projects have been awarded as compared to 4,609 km of highways in the same period last fiscal. 

"Construction generally picks up pace in the second half of the year and we are confident of constructing 12,000 km of highways this year," Giridhar Aramane, secretary of, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) told Mint. 

He said that if there are no unseasonal rains in FY23 or any other big disruptions, the target of 12,000 km will be reached. 

"The 12,000 km we are going to build will be dominated by complex projects involving building six-lane, eight-lane and access control highways," one of the officials told Mint.

The Covid-19 pandemic and an unusually long rainy season have kept the authorities from reaching the target of 12,000 km, the report added. 

Experts have, however, stated that to reach the intended target, 50 km of roads will have to be constructed every day. This has never been achieved by government agencies.