The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched special quality inspections of 17 under-construction highway projects across nine states. The projects were selected because their bid values were more than 15% below the estimated costs. The first round of inspections is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, followed by another review six months later.

The authority said the projects met three selection criteria: a construction cost of more than Rs. 5 bn, a tender discount exceeding 15% and physical progress between 35% and 80%. The inspections are intended to address concerns over aggressive bidding, in which contractors quote substantially below estimates to secure projects, potentially contributing to delays and poor-quality work.

The selected works include the Tumkur-Nelamangala six-laning project in Karnataka, the Durg-Raipur Bypass section in Chhattisgarh and a six-lane, access-controlled greenfield highway between Yerragudipadu and Audireddipalle in Andhra Pradesh. Other projects cover sections in Tamil Nadu and Punjab, the Mator-Barodameo six-lane highway, the four-lane Inner Ring Road around Allahabad, the Northern-East Side Gorakhpur Bypass and the Moradabad-Thakurdwara-Kashipur section of NH-734.

Specialised teams led by 39 serving and retired engineers from government organisations will conduct the inspections. The participating institutions include the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Defence and state public works departments.

The teams will assess construction against approved drawings, technical specifications, contract conditions and project-specific quality plans. Their review will cover construction materials, workmanship, construction methods and sampling and testing records, with non-compliant work to be followed up through corrective measures under the relevant contracts.

National highways are required to meet standards prescribed in Indian Roads Congress specifications and codes. Although executing agencies appoint authority or independent engineers for daily site supervision, NHAI also deploys third-party quality auditors when independent checks are considered necessary, particularly after instances of damage to highway infrastructure.