Widening network

The length of national highways has been growing steadily in recent years, with 10 States accounting for more than 60 per cent of the network.

The country’s national highways network posted impressive growth in recent years to touch 1,20,543 kilometres as of December 2017, according to statistics from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The network has been adding some 4,000 km on average since 2013-14 and hit a peak of constructed length of 8,231 km in 2016-17.

Maharashtra accounted for the largest share of national highways with 13.4 per cent, followed by Uttar Pradesh (7.6 per cent) and Rajasthan (6.9 per cent), as of June 30, 2017. The State also topped among length of State highways, with a total length of 40,144 km as of 2015.

For 2018-19, the Centre aims to award 20,000 km and construct 16,418 km, according to a report from the Ministry. It is also targeting a toll revenue collection of Rs.8,000 crore and has already collected Rs.2,257.6 crore in the first three years of the current fiscal.

According to provisional figures for expenditure on national highways in 2015-16, Punjab saw the highest expenditure of Rs.1,855.24 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh (Rs.1,527.74 crore) and Andhra Pradesh (Rs.1,000.43 crore).