Road

The World Bank has approved a $500m loan for the National Highways Interconnectivity Improvement Project that is aimed at accelerating highway development in India.

The project will improve the national highway network’s connectivity in economically lagging and remote regions that do not fall under the country’s flagship project, National Highways Development Program (NHDP).

It will focus on three low-income states, Rajasthan, Bihar and Orissa, as well as on the less developed regions in the states of Karnataka and West Bengal.

It will upgrade and widen nearly 1,120km of existing single/intermediate lane National Highways to two-lane roads, and improve the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to better manage the highway network.

"By providing better connectivity and strong institutions, the project will help states achieve faster social and economic benefits."

Nearly 43% of the primary highway network, known as the non-NHDP network, has been identified for development, with considerable sections suffering from connectivity gaps.

Significant portions of these roads are intermediate or single-lane highways and have poor traveling conditions.

World Bank country director for India Onno Ruhl said: "By providing better connectivity and strong institutions, the project will help states achieve faster social and economic benefits."

The new project will focus on improving traffic incident data collection and analysis at central and state levels through the Road Accident Database Management System (RADMS). It will also strengthen road safety capacity at the central level and focus on training.

It will strengthen road safety management systems, while reducing fatalities and serious injuries from road accidents in the country.

Among other uses of the project are improved access to highways and transport services, improved access to a larger number of economic opportunities, better health services, better access to higher levels of education, and improved road safety.

The new loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a five-year grace period, and a maturity of 18 years.


Image: The new project will improve the national highway network’s connectivity with economically lagging and remote regions in India. Photo: courtesy of dan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.