NHAI set to incorporate wayside amenities into design of highways

In a shift in strategy, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to incorporate wayside amenities into the design of upcoming greenfield access-controlled highways, aiming to elevate the overall travel experience. As per the plan under discussion, these amenities could be used for landing drones, building helipads and to open retail outlets for selling […]

Self-healing roads may soon be a reality: NHAI

Roads that repair themselves could soon become a reality in the country, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) beginning work on adopting a new technology for the purpose, said people familiar with the matter. The technology allows asphalt, used to build roads, to self-heal and address the issue of potholes, one of the […]

Election Commission seeks status quo on highway toll rates

The Election Commission of India has directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways not to go ahead with the scheduled revision of toll rates on highways till the election process is completed. The order will impact both publicly funded highways and those operated by private concessionaires. The toll rates on expressways average Rs 2.19/ […]

BRO connects strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) connected the strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh on March 25. This 298-km road will connect Manali to Leh through Darcha and Nimmu on Kargil–Leh highway. The road is now the third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh which connects Ladakh to the hinterland, the Ministry of Defence said in a press […]

Govt directs officers to inspect highway stretches to detect encroachments

Nearly a month after the Supreme Court’s critical observation on how the system of highway administration is “only on paper”, the road transport ministry has directed all officers concerned to inspect stretches to detect encroachments and unauthorised occupation. The ministry, in a direction, has made it “obligatory” for officers to direct highway administrators to remove […]

MoRTH amends model concession agreements for BOT and TOT projects

The ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) have made over a dozen changes to the model concession agreement for build-operate-transfer (BOT) and tolling, operation, maintenance and Transfer (TOT) model to incentivise private sector to invest in creation of road infrastructure and to remove any ambiguity in the existing agreements. Some of the key amendments […]

Odisha’s Road to Renewal: From greenfield roads to six-lane highways, Gadkari paves the way for progress with marquee infrastructure projects

On Thursday, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 28 national highways (NHs) projects worth Rs 6,600 crore in Odisha. Nitin Gadkari along with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw virtually inaugurated a 79km four-lane road between Baharagora and Singhara on NH-49, valued at Rs 1,203 crore, and […]