Proposed National Highway Grid to Connect 12 Major Ports, 45 Cities & 26 State Capitals

The proposed National Highway Grid will include 27 vertical and horizontal highway corridors that will crisscross and connect with each other to improve ease of travel.

By Anandita Jumde

June 15, 2016

T ravelling by road in India can be quite the hassle, especially on our extensive highway network. Miss a turn or take the wrong road and you may be forced to go for miles before you can course-correct. Lack of connectivity between existing roads has proven to be particularly challenging. With the government’s recent proposal however, things are set to change.

The National Highway Authority of India is proposing a ‘National Highway Grid.’ The grid will include 27 horizontal and vertical highway corridors spread across the country. The corridors, that will crisscross and connect with each other, will be spaced at a distance of 250 kilometres.

The grid will connect 12 major ports, 26 state capitals and more than 45 cities. It is expected to be 36,000 kms long.

National Highway Grid

Image for representation only. Source: Wikipedia

All highway corridors will be four-lane expressways. The existing 11,300 kilometres of single and two-lane corridors will also be converted to four-lane roads. The project is expected to cost around Rs. 25,000 crore.

There is also talk of re-designating existing highways for easy identification. Soon, all highways running from east to west may be given even numbers, while north to south roads may be given odd numbers.

“The grids will be important as the government is focusing on integrated transportation network. These grids will connect all major ports, which will help in quick evacuation and transport of cargo from one end to the other,” an official told The Economic Times.

The proposed move will lend a sense of uniformity and purpose to India’s sprawled network of over one lakh national highways; making travelling from one corner of the country to the other a breeze.

Featured Image for representation only. Source: Wikipedia

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