Union Minister Gadkari Lays Foundation For Highway Projects Worth Rs 2,042 Crore In Karnataka

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday laid the foundation for nine national highway projects spanning 88 km in Karnataka with an investment of Rs 2,042 crore.

He also assured that the projects and schemes worth Rs five lakh crore will be taken up in the state over the next five years.

"I am happy that when our government was formed in 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the length of the National Highway in Karnataka was 6,707 km and in 2025, it has increased to around 9,424 km," he said on the occasion.

With regard to the traffic congestion issue is Bengaluru, the union minister said that the Centre is building a Ring Road in the city which is worth Rs 15,000 crore.

"Bengaluru has a lot of problems because of traffic jams and that is why we are building a Ring Road in the city which is worth Rs 15,000 crore. Forty per cent of the work has been completed and the rest of the work is in progress and if completed soon, it will provide a lot of relief to (commuters)," Gadkari said.

Construction of the four-lane Road Over Bridge at Wadi on NH-150, retaining wall from Sampaje to Kushanalanagara on NH-275, and additional works to ensure road safety for the six-lane Bengaluru-Mysuru access-controlled section of NH-275 are among the projects for which the foundation was laid today.

The minister said that as of now, projects worth Rs three lakh crore are in progress at different stages and it has been decided that projects worth Rs five lakh crore and schemes will be taken up over the next five years.

He also said that national highway connectivity is being extended to aspirational districts. New roads are being constructed along with other beneficial schemes for the development of Karnataka.

Connectivity to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu via Delhi to Mumbai national highway is also on the cards, he added.

"Many national highways are being established throughout the country to seamlessly connect one state with another. Tunnel projects like Atal Tunnel is one of the ways of achieving such connectivity. Four lane highway is being constructed between Hasan-Raichur. It is estimated to be completed by December this year which will help to reduce the travelling time. Bengaluru-Chennai highway is also near its completion and will be opened for the public in the next six months," he said.

He also said that the highway work between Hubballi-Dharwad is also in progress with 70 per cent completion and will be completed by next March. "This will reduce the journey time between both the places by 15 minutes."

The Mysuru-Madikeri highway and Shiradi Ghat road constructions are well in progress, the minister said.

According to Gadkari, the widening of the 47-kilometre-long Bidar–Humnabad section of NH-367 will substantially reduce travel time between the districts of Kalaburagi and Bidar.

Restoration works undertaken in the Shiradi Ghat stretch of NH-75 are expected to ensure safe and uninterrupted traffic movement during the monsoon season, particularly along the vital Mangaluru–Bengaluru corridor, he said.

He further said that the construction of a Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Shahabad and a bridge over the Kagina River on NH-50 will ensure seamless connectivity between Kalaburagi and Raichur.

In addition, road safety enhancements on the Bengaluru–Mysuru Access-Controlled Expressway will facilitate faster, safer, and more efficient travel between Karnataka and Kerala, while also reducing travel time and fuel consumption, he added.

Earlier in the day, Gadkari inaugurated the newly constructed cable-stayed bridge between Ambaragodlu-Kasaravalli areas of Sagara taluk in this district. This cable-stayed bridge spans 6.18 km long and cost Rs 472.08 crore.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who also attended the event, said that highway connectivity throughout the nation is being strengthened. Over the last ten years, about 50,000 km long highways have been constructed.

"Earlier, only 7 to 8 km of highway were being constructed on a daily basis. However, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 34 km of highway is being laid out daily," the minister said.