Cabinet meeting: Govt grants approval for 8 national high speed corridor projects

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday approved 8 high-speed road corridor projects totaling 936 km across the country, costing Rs 50,655 crore. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that these projects are designed to meet both current and future demands.

The implementation of these 8 projects is expected to create around 4.42 crore mandays of direct and indirect jobs, the minister added.

One major project includes a 68-km four-lane Ayodhya Ring Road costing Rs 3,935 crore. This road will reduce congestion on National Highways in the area and allow for quicker movement of pilgrims visiting the Rama Mandir.

In West Bengal, a 231-km long four-lane high-speed corridor will be constructed between Kharagpur and Moregram for Rs 10,247 crore. This new highway will ease traffic on the current 2-lane National Highway and increase capacity by about five times.

The new highway is also expected to enhance connectivity between West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and the North-East, according to the government statement.

"Realizing the importance of infrastructure in overall economic growth of the country, Government of India has been investing heavily in building world-class road infrastructure in the country over the last ten years," Centre said.

Check out other approved road projects:

A six-lane, 88-km long Agra-Gwalior national high-speed corridor will be built for Rs 4,613 crore. This corridor will improve access to major tourist sites in Uttar Pradesh, like the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, and in Madhya Pradesh, including Gwalior Fort.

The six-lane Tharad-Deesa-Mehsana-Ahmedabad National High-Speed Corridor, spanning 214 km, will be built at Rs 10,534 crore. This corridor will connect two major national routes in Gujarat—the Amritsar-Jamnagar Corridor and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway—making it easier for freight vehicles to reach major ports in Maharashtra, including JNPT, Mumbai, and the new Vadhavan port.

A 137-km long four-lane section between Pathalgaon and Gumla on the Raipur-Ranchi corridor will be developed for Rs 4,473 crore. This will improve connectivity between mining areas and industrial zones in Raipur, Durg, Korba, Bilaspur, Bokaro, and Dhanbad.

Additionally, a six-lane, 47-km long Kanpur Ring Road will be built for Rs 3,298 crore.

A 121-km long four-lane Northern Guwahati bypass and the widening of the existing Guwahati Bypass will be developed for Rs 5,729 crore. The project will also include a major bridge over the Brahmaputra River, improving regional connectivity.

Additionally, a 30-km long eight-lane elevated Nashik Phata-Khed Corridor near Pune will be built at Rs 7,827 crore.