The network gets stronger

A decade after the idea first came up-and within months of Mayawati announcing the ambitious 1,000-km Ganga expressway project last year...

A decade after the idea first came up8212;and within months of Mayawati announcing the ambitious 1,000-km Ganga expressway project last year8212;the Centre is finally taking its first step towards creating a massive 8216;Indian National Expressway Network8217;. The proposed freeways will be spread across some 20,000 km across states, interlinking and complementing the massive National Highway Development Programme NHDP. To be constructed on a Public Private Partnership PPP basis, the expressway network is to be built in a phased manner on a toll-based system, and the ministry has already invited consultancy bids to formulate its master plan. The National Expressway Network will roll out starting from the 13th five-year plan period, with phases of development spread between 2012, 2017 and 2022.

At present, India boasts of just two expressways: a 92-km stretch between Mumbai and Pune and 93 km between Vadodara and Ahmedabad. As part of NHDP VI, the ministry will be constructing 1,000 km of six-lane intercity expressways between Vadodara-Mumbai, Delhi-Meerut, Bangalore-Chennai and Dhanbad- Kolkata. However, the ministry woke up to the growing demand for a planned expressway grid only after the Mayawati Government announced the ambitious 1,000-km Ganga expressway in Uttar Pradesh, ordering an immediate blueprint for India8217;s expressway grid.

8220;The need for expressways is felt in view of the massive increase in traffic volume across all national highways and state highways. While the NHDP is on, it is not the only solution, as there is mixed traffic, no access control and habitation by the roadside. So there is a strong case for access-controlled expressways. While the ministry has been estimating8212;as per a 1998 study8212;that some 15,000 km of expressways would suffice, in view of the changing transport scenario and several states now planning their own expressways, a fresh plan of action needs to be detailed,8221; said a senior official.

The master plan of the network, to be readied over the next six months, will be quite comprehensive, covering issues related to land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement, funding pattern, economic evaluation, environment-impact assessment, commercial- utilisation scope, as well as possible amendments the project may require in relevant acts/laws and traffic flow data across the national highways and major state highways. States will be kept closely involved with the project to assess priority of corridors and to also get their cooperation in land acquisition and project construction. The study will also keep in mind the existing and proposed highway development plans by the Centre as well as the states and the impact, if any, the expressways would have on the viability of Build Operate Transfer BOT based projects.

According to a 1998 study by the ministry, 15,766 km of expressways would be required in the country by 2020. The Road Development Plan Vision: 2021 also recommend that a 10,000 km expressway network requiring an investment of Rs 100,000 crore should be in place by 2021.