The Ministry keeps on receiving proposals from various State Governments / Union Territories (UTs) etc. for declaration / upgradation of State roads, including State Highways (SHs), as new National Highways (NHs). The Ministry considers declaration of some State roads, including SHs, as NHs from time to time based on the requirement of connectivity, inter-se priority and availability of funds.
State roads, including SHs, are declared as new NHs from time to time on the basis of well-established principles. The criteria for State roads for declaration as new NHs may include some of the following: –
- 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 having important strategic requirement in hilly and isolated area.
- Arterial roads which enable sizeable reduction in travel distance and achieve substantial economic growth.
- Roads which help in opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly region.
- Roads contributing towards achievement of National Highways grid of 100 km.
- Synergy with PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP).
Development and maintenance of NHs is a continuous process. Works on
notified NHs, including four or six laning works on NHs, are taken up accordingly as per the traffic density, inter-se-priority, availability of funds.
Stretches identified for development as Expressway, Economic Corridors, Inter
and Feeder Corridors under the Bharatmala Pariyojana and the stretches with traffic more than 10,000 passenger car unit (PCU) per day are primarily considered for development to 4-lane and above configurations.
Recovery of the capital cost incurred on the development of NHs, including development of SHs notified as NHs, are made through levy of user fee as per the National Highways Fee (determination of rates and collection) Rules, 2008 amended from time to time.
This information was given by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.