Question : Criteria for Declaration of Road as NH

(a) the criteria for declaring any road as National Highway (NH);

(b) the State-wise details of State Highways decided to be converted into National Highways;

(c) whether any target has been set in this regard and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the quality of the roads declared as National Highway is in accordance with the norms laid down for National Highways;

(e) if not, the time by which the quality of these roads is likely to be upgraded;

(f) whether proposals for declaring a number of roads as NH are pending with the Government despite these roads conforming to the prescribed norms; and

(g) if so, the State-wise and project-wise details thereof during each of the last three years and the current year along with the steps taken by the Government to expedite action in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA)

(a) State roads are declared as new National Highways (NHs) from time to time on the basis of well established principles; the criteria for State roads for declaration as new NHs include roads running through length / breadth of the country, connecting adjacent countries, National Capitals with State Capitals / mutually the State Capitals, major ports, non-major ports, large industrial centers or tourist centers, roads meeting very important strategic requirement in hilly and isolated area, arterial roads which enable sizeable reduction in travel distance and achieve substantial economic growth thereby, roads which help opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly regions (other than strategically important ones), achieving a National Highways grid of 100 km, etc.

(b) to (g) The Ministry keeps on receiving proposals for declaration of various State Roads/ Highways as new NHs from various States/Union Territories (UTs). The Ministry considers declaration of some State Roads/ Highways as new NHs from time to time keeping in view the requirement of connectivity, inter-se priority and availability of funds. The details of State Roads/ Highways declared as new NHs in the country during last three years and the current year are at Annexure-I.

Further, about 51,940 km length of State Roads have been approved “In-Principle” for their declaration as new NHs subject to outcome of their Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and initiatives have been taken for their DPR preparations. The details of such State roads are at Annexure-II.

Development and maintenance of NHs is a continuous process and works on NHs, including the newly declared NHs, are accordingly taken up from time to time as per the available resources, inter-se priority and traffic density to keep the NHs in traffic worthy conditions with due consideration to stipulated standards and quality requirements.