Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has called for stronger preparation at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage to prevent delays and cost escalation in highway projects. He made the remarks while inaugurating a two-day national conclave on highway infrastructure at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district. Gadkari said project surveys, alignment planning, land acquisition, utility shifting and statutory clearances needed to be addressed before construction began. Better preparation at the initial stage, he said, would support smoother implementation and help ensure timely project delivery. The conclave, titled Chintan Shivir 2026 – A National Conclave on Highway Infrastructure, is being held under the theme Gatishakti se Pragati. It brings together transport and Public Works Department (PWD) ministers from states, senior officials, implementing agencies and other stakeholders to examine challenges affecting highway development and infrastructure delivery. The minister called for successful practices from individual states to be shared, assessed and replicated where suitable. He said highway development needed to focus on quality, safety, speed and world-class standards, with road safety integrated into planning and design from the outset. Accident-prone locations should be identified during planning so that suitable safeguards could be incorporated during construction. Gadkari also highlighted the economic importance of seamless highway links connecting cities, towns, ports, markets and industrial centres. The conclave’s sessions cover PM GatiShakti and integrated infrastructure planning, land acquisition, Model Concession Agreements, safe and green highway design, road safety, toll reforms, quality assurance and project monitoring. He urged wider adoption of new technologies, innovative construction methods and cost-effective materials to improve quality and reduce construction and maintenance expenses. Discussions will also address environmental sustainability, wildlife protection and recycled materials. An Environment and Wildlife Mitigation Measures document and a BRICS Compendium on Perspectives in Sustainable Transport were launched at the inaugural session. Technology-led tolling reforms, including the FASTag Annual Pass and Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF), are also being discussed.