The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is set to raise its road construction target for this fiscal year beyond the current 12,500 km, according to a senior official. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is reportedly dissatisfied with the existing target of approximately 34 km per day and is pushing for more roads to be built. The revised target is expected to be significantly higher. While the official did not disclose specific details, it was mentioned that the government aims to come close to its goal of constructing 40 km of roads per day.
The construction approach will involve a mix of EPC, hybrid-annuity, and BOT methods. The ministry also anticipates a substantial increase in toll collection with the development of new highways, projecting a nearly three-fold rise to Rs 1.25 lakh crore by FY’29. Monetization plans will involve Toll-Operate-Transfer contracts and Infrastructure Investment Trusts. The government is committed to addressing challenges such as land acquisition and environmental concerns to ensure the successful implementation of the second phase of the Bharatmala project.
