Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced an ambitious plan to ease Delhi's notorious traffic congestion, stating that road infrastructure projects worth ₹1.5 lakh crore are underway in the capital region. Gadkari asserted that within the next two years, India's road infrastructure will be comparable to that of the United States, driven by increased government spending over the last decade.
Gadkari emphasized that the improvements in road infrastructure have already begun to reduce logistics costs in India, which will further enhance the country's export competitiveness. He pointed out that high logistics costs—16% compared to China's 8% and the US and European countries' 12%—have been a major concern. The government's efforts have brought these costs down to 9%, making Indian exports more competitive.
According to Gadkari, several significant projects are in the pipeline, including 25 greenfield expressways, a 3,000 km port connectivity highway, and ₹1 lakh crore worth of roads connecting religious tourism circuits. These projects include improved connectivity to Buddhist circuits and the Char Dham pilgrimage sites with all-weather roads. Additionally, 36 tunnels are being developed between Jammu and Srinagar, with 23 already completed and work underway on several more. The Parvatmala Yojana includes the development of 15 ropeways, along with 35 multi-modal logistics parks.
Gadkari highlighted specific projects aimed at dramatically reducing travel times from Delhi. Once completed, these projects will enable travel from Delhi to Dehradun in 2 hours, Delhi to Amritsar in 3.5 to 4 hours, Delhi to Katra in 6 hours, Delhi to Srinagar in 8 hours, and Delhi to Jaipur in just 2 hours. The Minister stated that the construction of these highways will transform the map of India.
The Minister also spoke about a ₹3,500 crore tunnel project aimed at easing traffic congestion in Delhi. Gadkari has also urged the Telangana government to cooperate with the Centre in water conservation initiatives under the "Amrit Sarovar" scheme. He announced that the Centre would invest ₹2 lakh crore in road development projects across Telangana over the next four years.
In early 2025, Gadkari announced that the Union government is set to implement infrastructure projects worth ₹1 lakh crore to transform Delhi. He highlighted that the Ministry of Road Transport is working on projects valued at ₹65,000 crore, with ₹33,000 crore worth of work already completed and the remaining ₹32,000 crore worth of projects to be completed soon.
These projects are aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), launched in 2021, which integrates various ministries, including Railways and Roadways, to ensure coordinated planning and execution of infrastructure projects. India has the second-largest road network in the world, with National Highways spanning approximately 146,000 km. The National Highway network has expanded significantly from 65,569 km in 2004 to 1,46,145 km in 2024, and the stretches with four or more lanes have grown 2.6 times from 18,371 km in 2014 to 48,422 km in 2024.
