National highway construction in the April-August period of the current fiscal fell to its lowest in three years, but still was at a decent 21.2 km/day, weathering the Covid-induced lockdown. The pace of highway construction was at 24.37 km/day and 23.26 km/day in the same period of 2019-20 and 2018-19, respectively.
In an official statement, the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) said during April to August in the current fiscal, 3,181 km national highway length was constructed. For the period, the ministry’s target was 2,771 km.
All agencies, including MoRTH, National Highways Authority of India and National Highway Development Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), put together, had built 3,656 km national highway a year ago.
India had constructed highways at the rate of 28 km a day in the entire 2019-20. The year 2018-19 had been the best so far with total construction touching to a record high of 10,885 km or 29.82 km a day.
Rating agency Icra had earlier said the execution in FY21 is estimated to be lower by around 22% against the targets. For the entire current fiscal, the MoRTH has set a 10,250-km construction target.
The pace of highway project awards, however, more than doubled to 3,330 km in the April-August period of the current fiscal compared with just 1,367 km awarded a year ago.
Sanctions were issued for construction of 2,983 km of national highways all over the country during this period, the statement said.
