Road Ministry to Address 1,000 Black Spots on National Highways

28 Feb 2025 CW Team

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) plans to construct 10,000 km of national highways in the 2025-26 financial year, as per the Detailed Demands For Grants released on Monday. This development is set to increase the four-lane highways within the NH network by 8%, based on government estimates.

While the target for FY26 is slightly lower than previous years, officials explained that it reflects the government’s ongoing focus on building wider, more efficient highways. Although fewer roads may be built, their enhanced carrying capacity through more lanes will significantly improve traffic flow.

The government has set a revised target of constructing 10,400 km of national highways for FY25. By December 2024, 5,853 km of these roads had been completed.

The national highway network spans a total of 1,46,195 km, with 2,474 km devoted to National High-Speed Corridors (HSC) and 45,947 km dedicated to four-lane or larger highways.

In FY24, MoRTH constructed 12,349 km of NHs at a rate of 33.83 km per day, the second highest since the record 13,327 km in FY21.

The Ministry also aims to build 1,100 km of national highways in North Eastern States and 750 km in tribal areas during the year. Additionally, the length of the Operational High-Speed Corridor is expected to reach 5,800 km in FY26.

MoRTH is looking to attract greater private investment in national highways via Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and Build, Operate, Transfer (BOT) models. The ministry expects private sector contractors to invest ₹35,000 crore in NH development under these public-private partnership projects during FY26, accounting for 30% of the total awarded contracts.

Infrastructure Transport

06 Feb 2026

Lucknow Metro East-West Corridor Consultancy Contract Awarded

The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation has awarded the first construction-related consultancy contract for the Lucknow Metro East West Corridor to a joint venture of AYESA Ingenieria Arquitectura SAU and AYESA India Pvt Ltd. The firm was declared the lowest bidder for the Detailed Design Consultant contract for Lucknow Metro Line-2 under Phase 1B and the contract was recommended following the financial bid. The contract is valued at Rs 159.0 million (mn), covering design services for the corridor. Lucknow Metro Line-2 envisages the construction of an 11.165 kilometre corridor connecting Cha..

Div Com Kashmir Urges Fast Tracking Of Jhelum Water Transport Project

The Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir has called for the fast-tracking of the Jhelum water transport project, urging district administrations and relevant agencies to accelerate planning and clearances. In a meeting convened at the divisional headquarters, the commissioner instructed officials from irrigation, public health engineering and municipal departments to prioritise the project and coordinate survey and design work. The directive emphasised removal of administrative bottlenecks and close monitoring to ensure timely mobilisation of resources and contractors. Officials were told to in..

Interarch Reports Strong Q3 And Nine Month Results

Interarch Building Solutions Limited reported unaudited results for the third quarter and nine months ended 31 December 2025, recording strong revenue growth driven by execution and a robust order book. Net revenue for the third quarter rose by 43.7 per cent to Rs 5.225 billion (bn), compared with Rs 3.636 bn a year earlier, reflecting heightened demand in pre-engineered building projects. The company’s total order book as at 31 January 2026 stood at Rs 16.85 bn, supporting near-term visibility. EBITDA excluding other income for the quarter increased by 43.2 per cent to Rs 503 million (mn),..