Govt To Initiate Bharatmala 2.0 For Vast Infrastructure Connectivity

Bharatmala Phase-II will include 5,000 km long expressways and 8,100 km long 17 access-controlled corridors. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2027.

The Union Road Ministry is prepared to submit a cabinet note for the 2nd phase of India’s enormous Bharatmala project, which calls for the construction of over 5,000 km of motorways and motorways at a cost of about 3 trillion rupees.

According to the individuals cited above, the Union road ministry has already written the letter and approval is anticipated next month. 

Phase-2 approval has been expedited to enable Phase-1’s completion concurrently, which was delayed by five years as a result of disruptions from COVID-19 and delays in land acquisition.

Although 5,000 km of roads are anticipated in the new phase, additional projects may be added. As an aspect of Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase II, a previous proposal called for six motorways and 17 access-controlled corridors with a combined length of nearly 8,100 km and a capital expenditure of more than 3.66 trillion.

According to the individuals cited above, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to publish tenders for the building projects of some sections of the roads under Phase-2 as early as the first half of FY24 to ensure that a sizable portion of these motorways and highways is operational in time for the remaining Phase-1 projects, which are now expected to be finished by 2027.

In order to facilitate seamless travel between important economic centers, Bharatmala Phase-2 seeks to improve connectivity to a number of infrastructure projects, including multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs) and under-construction motorways. 

The development of highways, ring roads around significant industrial hubs, and bypasses would also be included in the new phase.

The creation of six important motorways with a combined length of 2,560 km would be the main focus of this large-scale undertaking. 

This would comprise the 120 km Kharagpur-Kolkata Expressway, the 220 km Pune-Ahmednagar-Aurangabad Expressway, the 310 km Chennai-Tiruchirappalli Expressway, and the 515 km Indore-Mumbai Expressway, which will also connect to other motorways that are currently being built. 

The longest motorway link via the Delhi-Mumbai corridor would be made up of the 745 km-long Pune-Bengaluru motorway, the 650 km-long Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata motorway, and the Mumbai-Delhi motorway.

“In order to expedite project award and construction, comprehensive project reports (DPRs) for a number of Bharatmala Phase-2 projects have been prepared more quickly. 

One of the two sources listed above added, “DPRs for several of the projects have already been completed by NHAI, and for a few others, they will be accessible over the coming weeks.

With enhanced connectivity to major industrial corridors, Bharatmala proposes to connect a number of the current road infrastructure. 

Although the project’s initial phase was planned in 2015, land acquisition delays, late clearances, and covid-19 problems have caused the project’s completion date to be postponed until 2027, increasing expenditures. 

With early approval for phase-2, it is anticipated that the lessons from the first round would be applied to maximize road construction.

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