The Union Cabinet approved eight national high-speed road corridor projects of length 936 km entailing investment of ₹50,655 crore to improve logistics efficiency and connectivity across the country, an official statement said on Friday.
With this project, “travelling to Ayodhya will be much faster now”, the press release states. It added that the travel time between Agra and Gwalior will also be reduced by 50 percent.
“The implementation of these eight important projects will generate an estimated 4.42 crore mandays of direct and indirect employment,” it said.
The projects approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs include 6-Lane Agra-Gwalior National High-Speed Corridor, 4-Lane Kharagpur-Moregram National High-Speed Corridor, 6-Lane Tharad-Deesa-Mehsana-Ahmedabad National High-Speed Corridor, 4-lane Ayodhya Ring Road, 4-Lane Section between Pathalgaon and Gumla of Raipur-Ranchi National Highspeed Corridor, and 6-Lane Kanpur Ring Road.
The government's press release informed that the 68-km 4-lane access-controlled Ayodhya Ring Road will be developed in Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a cost of Rs. 3,935 crore.
“The Ring Road will reduce congestion on National Highways passing through the city, viz., NH 27 (East West Corridor), NH 227 A, NH 227B. NH 330, NH 330A, and NH 135A, thereby enabling fast movement of pilgrims visiting the Rama Mandir,” the release added.
It further states that the Ring Road will also provide seamless connectivity to national and international tourists arriving from Lucknow International Airport, Ayodhya Airport and major railway stations in the city.
On the new projects, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet on X said, “'Tranformative' boost to India’s infrastructure landscape!
"The Cabinet's approval of 8 National High-Speed Road Corridor Projects at an expenditure of over ₹50,000 crore will have a ‘multiplier’ effect on our economic ‘growth’ and boost ‘employment’ opportunities. It also underlines our commitment to a futuristic and connected India.”
Meanwhile the 88 km Agra-Gwalior National High-Speed Corridor will be developed on build-operate- transfer (BOT) mode as a fully access-controlled 6-lane corridor at a total capital cost of ₹4,613 crore.
The corridor is expected to enhance connectivity to key tourist destinations in Uttar Pradesh (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, etc) and Madhya Pradesh (Gwalior Fort, etc).
“It will reduce the distance between Agra and Gwalior by 7 per cent and the travel time by 50 per cent, thereby bringing in a substantial reduction in logistics cost,” the release said.
