Roads and Highways; New Developments and Budget Allocation

Roads & Highways

roaDs anD highways; new DevelopMents anD BuDget allocation

Road infrastructure is the most valuable of all public assets because it promotes economic activity between large cities and the towns they pass through. Economic activity can spread as a result of this connectedness, allowing underdeveloped regions to catch up and achieve balanced and equitable growth. Other sectors of the economy, such as steel, cement, automobiles, and real estate, benefit from road building. In the future years, a strong road network will remain a critical pillar in India's rapid economic development. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2022 in Parliament, and one of the major announcements was the proposal to expand the country's national highways by 25,000 kilometres between 2022 and 2023. While Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, has previously emphasised the importance of a strong road network in the country for economic success, the extension of the national highway network could hasten this process. A country's pulsing economy is dependent on the highways that act as its arteries. As a result, with a 4.8 percent share of India's GDP, road transport has emerged as a significant industry. The Indian government has announced the Gati ShaktiNational Master Plan, which will aid in the holistic and integrated development of infrastructure, resulting in a significant number of job opportunities in the country. FM Sitharaman stated that 25,000 km of national highways will be built as part of the PM Gati Shakti plan, which is one of the four critical pillars of growth. The Prime Minister Gati Shakti refers to a digital plan that attempts to bring together 16 Ministries for integrated planning and implementation of infrastructure connectivity initiatives. "PM Gati Shakti Master Plan for Expressways will be formulated in 2022-23 to facilitate the faster movement of people and goods," Sitharaman said in her Budget 2022 speech, adding that as a preferred ecologically sustainable alternative to

way H oads & Hig r

conventional roads in difficult hilly areas, the National Ropeways Development Programme will be taken up on the PPP mode. FM Sitaraman indicated during the presentation of the Budget 2022-23 that the seven engines will work together to move the economy forward. Seven economic transformation engines, as well as seamless multimodal connections and logistics, will be included in the Gati Shakti Plan. According to the Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the state government would also be accountable for infrastructure development. The four essential areas will be planning, speedier implementation, funding, and technology utilisation. Growth of Roads and Highways in India The new budget proposes a 35 percent increase in spending, primarily on infrastructure. The administration emphasised that putting a focus on construction will help the economy grow. According to a survey, the development of National Highways/roads has been steadily increasing since 2013-14, with 13,327 km of roads created in 2020-21 compared to 10,237 km in 2019-20, representing a 30.2 percent increase over the previous year. According to the survey, the considerable increase in road construction in 2020-21 was attributable to a 29.5 percent increase in public spending over the previous year, reflecting the government's support for a crucial industry that provides jobs and supports infrastructure during a pandemic year. Road infrastructure is widely recognised as a powerful tool for socioeconomic integration and is critical to the country's economic success. In October 2021, the government issued a notice on discounts under the Vehicle Scrapping Policy (starting April 2022) to encourage vehicle owners to get rid of old vehicles that use more fuel. In October 2021, the government began a conversion project for 15 major roadways in the Agartala smart city. The project would improve regional growth by converting these roadways to weather-resistant ones. Also, in the same month the government announced plans to improve road safety, including the requirement for commercial cars to have sleep detection devices installed and commercial truck drivers to have set driving hours. In FY22 (until October), the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways constructed 4,450 kilometres of national highways, compared to 4,956 kilometres in FY21 (until October). Nitin Gadkari, has also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for road projects worth Rs 4,160 crore in the Jaunpur and Mirzapur districts. In India, the road building business is undergoing a transformation. The face of the sector is changing due to strong demand, increasing investments, liquidity support, and major policy support. Significantly, the private sector has emerged as a key stakeholder in the development of India's road infrastructure. In FY21, India has 125 PPP projects worth a total of US$ 23.25 billion. With the government allowing 100 percent foreign direct investment in the road industry, various international corporations have formed partnerships with Indian players in order to profit from the sector's expansion. India is utilising innovative technologies to complete the most complicated road projects on schedule and in an environmentally sustainable manner, with the added benefit of reducing project lifecycle costs. Tunneling, on the other

hand, is fraught with geological dangers. Unforeseen circumstances must be addressed in the risk matrix. Late tunnel contract terms were largely adapted from highway contracts, which were unable to address the unique requirements of tunnelling in high-altitude geological layers. The use of improved construction materials, automation, and machine-control technology is constantly increasing. Project monitoring information systems, intelligent transportation management systems, advanced traffic management systems, real-time vehicle tracking, and incident management are just a few examples. Establishing a single archive of case studies, as well as a technical cell with a panel of specialists, will aid project development. India needs to issue a national policy mandating the availability of technological data on national servers, allowing parties to build their own ecosystem. Electric Highway The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has stated that India's first electric highway will be built between Delhi and Jaipur in the near future. Gadkari stated that his government is in talks with a foreign corporation to build a roadway connecting the two cities. Aside from the Delhi-Jaipur route, talks with a Swedish firm are also underway for an electric highway stretch on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Gadkari has advocated for foreign investment in the road sector and has already asked the EU to help India build an electric highway. He said that 22 green expressways were in the works, with seven of them having already begun construction. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has announced that India's first electric highway will be built between Delhi and Jaipur in the near future. Gadkari claims that his government is in talks with a foreign company to build a road linking the two cities. Nitin Gadkari had already assessed the construction of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities from about 24 hours to half. He further predicted that in the near future, the distance between Jaipur and Delhi will be completed in less than two hours. According to the National Highways Authority of India, the travel time between Delhi and Jaipur will be reduced by March of this year (NHAI). The NHAI expects the Sohna elevated road, which is currently under construction, and the Sohna-Dausa segment of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which is also under construction, to be completed and signal-free for commuters by that time. Skill Development in Road Sector Given the anticipated large investments in the road industry, India's road sector skills development is more important than ever. Projects in the Roads and Bridges Sector are experiencing a severe scarcity of certified qualified employees in several trades for a variety of specialised operations. Unfortunately, most ongoing skilling projects are mostly focused on educating housing construction-related skill trades, such as masons, plumbers, carpenters, bar benders, and electricians, which is a century-old attitude. The majority of the skills shortages in the road sector are still unmet. Over the last few decades, governments at both the federal and state levels have taken ad hoc and fragmented approaches to this problem. For decades, research, skills development and

www.constructionmirror.com

way H oads & Hig r

training in the road sector has been neglected. This strategy could be reviewed and analysed in a more holistic manner to develop the appropriate ecosystem for skills development for the roads sector. Through authorized Training Providers in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has taken the initiative for skill development of workers in the highway construction sector under Recognized Prior Learning (RPL) in projects worth $100 million and above. A dedicated fund of 0.1 percent of civil construction costs has been set aside for skill development, according to the scheme. Every contractor awarded a highway contract is required to train at least ten people for every one crore spent on the project. The government pays for all training and assessment fees under this program. In addition, the system provides for the distribution of a stipend to trainees in order to compensate for wage loss throughout the training term. Difficulties with Road Safety The Government of India has placed a strong emphasis on upgrading and developing National Highways in the country over the previous few decades. High-speed corridors, including access control highways and expressways, are now being planned and built. Highways, particularly high-speed corridors, must be planned and equipped with suitable safety equipment in order to reduce accidents. India is without a doubt one of the countries with the highest number of traffic deaths. Accidents on the road occur for a variety of reasons, including interactions between road users and the road environment. The road factor,

vehicle factor, and human factor are the three main contributing elements to accidents. It is our obligation as highway engineers to provide a safe environment for road users. To reduce accidents, engineering methods must be integrated with education, enforcement, and trauma treatment. A coordinated and determined strategy by all authorities is required to prevent accidents and fatalities on Indian roads and highways. Aside from enforcing traffic laws, there is much that can be done to educate, train, and improve the behaviour of road users. Highway engineers must also play a crucial role in the development of highways and roads in the country, ensuring that proper safety measures are taken. Upcoming or Ongoing Expressway Projects in India The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is an eight-lane access-controlled expressway currently under development that will link the country's National Capital, Delhi, with the Financial Capital, Mumbai. It will be the world's longest expressway when completed, with a length of 1380 kilometres. The road will cut travel time in half, from 24 hours to 12 hours. It will be home to the country's first-ever animal overpass, similar to those found in European countries. Madhya Pradesh (370 km), Gujarat (300 km), Haryana (80 km), Rajasthan (380 km), and Maharashtra (370 km) are all connected by the highway (120 km). The north end will be in Delhi, and the south end will be in Mumbai. Dwarka Expressway The Dwarka Expressway is an eight-lane accesscontrolled expressway that would connect Mahipalpur in Delhi to Kherki Daula Toll Plaza in Haryana. It's the country's first elevated urban highway. The expressway will contain a 22-lane toll plaza with a fully automated tolling system. The NH-8, which is used by roughly 3 lakh travellers per day, would be relieved by the planned Dwarka Expressway. The Dwarka Expressway will be home to an Intelligent Transportation System that will give real-time data on travel time, speed, delays, road accidents, route changes, diversions, and construction zone conditions, among other things. Purvanchal Expressway Purvanchal Expressway is an access-controlled expressway in Uttar Pradesh that would connect Chand Sarai village in Lucknow with Haydaria village on NH-31 in Ghazipur. It is currently under construction. The Purvanchal Expressway will contribute to the region's and state's growth. Near the Expressway areas, industrial training institutes, educational institutes, medical institutes, new townships, and so on will be built, creating employment prospects in the region. The expressway will be linked to the current Agra-Lucknow Expressway, forming a massive industrial corridor that connects the state's eastern and western borders and contributes to the state's overall development. The completion of the Purvanchal Expressway would boost agriculture, trade, tourism, and other industrial activities. Ganga Expressway In Uttar Pradesh, the Ganga Expressway is a six-lane access-controlled expressway that has been approved. The project will link NH-334 in Meerut District with NH-2 in Prayagraj District's Prayagraj (Allahabad) Bypass. The project is being undertaken to help the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh develop in all directions. The Ganga Expressway would pass through 12 Uttar Pradesh districts: Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahar, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, and Pratapgarh. Mumbai Nagpur Expressway The Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, also known as the Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is an under-construction access-controlled expressway in Maharashtra. The expressway would link Maharashtra's two capitals, Nagpur and Mumbai. It is one of India's longest greenfield road developments. Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Washim, Buldhana, Jalna, Aurangabad, Nashik, Ahmednagar, and Thane are the ten major Maharashtra districts through which the expressway would pass. The Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway will run from Mumbai's JNPT Container Terminal to Nagpur's MIHAN. The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, the Bengaluru-Chennai Economic Corridor, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Chennai Vizag Economic Corridor, and the Golden Quadrilateral will all be connected. CM