Amid increasing concerns over their maintenance and upkeep, the government has directed the NHAI to focus on upgrading the existing national highways marking a shift from the current practice of focusing solely on the development of new highways and expressways under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.This could ease congestion on many highways while ensuring their upkeep.
As per the NHAI directive, the authority will take up 79 National Highways (Original) projects spanning about 1,421 kms in this financial year. The scheme has two categories of projects – NHO1 projects involve maintenance, repair and minor upgrades of the original national highways while NHO2 projects include more extensive upgrades and modernisation of the original national highways, aimed at enhancing the capacity and safety of the highways, accommodating increased traffic and improving overall efficiency. As per the prioritised plan of the NHAI for 2024-25, 39 projects have been identified under NHO1 and 40 projects under NHO2 in states including Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
