Government Sets Lowest National Highway Construction Target for 2025-26

28 Feb 2025 CW Team

The government has set a target of constructing 10,000 km of national highways (NHs) in 2025-26, the lowest in the past seven years, according to the Budget document. Despite this, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is focusing on expanding wider highways and expressways, aiming to develop 5,800 km of high-speed corridors within the next year.

The target for FY26 may undergo revision, but the slower pace is expected due to fewer ongoing projects. The reduced number of newly awarded projects in 2023-24 and the current year will affect construction over the next two years. According to the document, the Ministry aims to generate Rs 30,000 crore from the monetisation of completed highway projects and secure Rs 35,000 crore in private investments.

Additionally, Rs 128 crore has been allocated for implementing cashless treatment for road crash victims across states and Union Territories. The scheme is currently operational in Assam, Chandigarh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Puducherry. The Ministry also plans to eliminate 1,000 black spots on national highways and to conduct road safety audits on 40,000 km of highways.

Since 2018-19, NH construction targets have varied, with the lowest being 10,237 km in 2019-20 and the highest at 13,327 km in 2020-21 despite COVID-19 disruptions. In 2023-24, NH construction reached 12,349 km, and officials anticipate completing around 10,500 km by March 2025. By mid-February, around 8,000 km had already been constructed.

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