Roads are the basis of economic progress, if there are no roads, then it will be very difficult to come on rocky roads and our economic system will collapse. Roads give impetus to our economic activities, that is why since independence, the focus of the government is more in the field of construction and maintenance of roads.
Mainly highways or roads in India have been divided into four types
categories which are as follows…
4 main categories:
National Highways,
State Highways,
District Roads and
Village roads
National Highways
National highways connect the major cities of India (ports, cities, state capitals) and thus form the backbone of India’s road network.
They are usually wide with 2 or 4 lanes of cement concrete.
Let’s learn more about the National Highways of India.
National Highways constructioned By…
National Highways in India are a network of highways owned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
It is constructed and managed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and the Public Works Department (PWD) of the state government.
Currently, the longest national highway in India is National Highway 44 at 3,508 km (2,180 mi).
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) are the nodal agencies responsible for the construction, upgradation and maintenance of most of the national highway network.
It comes under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The National Highway Development Project (NHDP) is a major effort to expand and upgrade the road network.
NHAI often uses a public-private partnership model for highway maintenance and toll collection.
NHIDCL uses an Engineering and Construction Procurement (EPC) model to build, develop and maintain strategic roads across the country’s international borders.
In India, national highways are classified roads, but highways are the main controlled access routes where access and exit are controlled by user ramps included in the design of the highway.
Bharat mala pariyojana
Bharatmala, a centrally funded Indian Government roads and highways project with a target of 83,677 km (51,994 mi) of new highways, was launched in 2018.
Construction of 34,800 km of highways (including the remaining NHDP projects) at an estimated cost of ₹ 5.35 lakh crore (US $ 70 billion) by 2021-22.
Total network length
Total Length of National Highways in India in( km) given below.....
2020 – 2021- 151,000
2019 – 2020- 142,995
2018 – 2019- 132,500
2017 – 2018- 126,500
2016 – 2017- 114,158
2015 – 2016 -101,011
2014 – 2015- 97,991
2013 – 2014- 91,287
2010 – 2013- 79,116
2001 – 2011- 70,737
1991 – 2001 -57,737
1981 – 1991- 33,650
1971 – 1981- 31,671
1961 – 1971 -23,838
1950 – 1961 -19,811
National Highways : Name and route in kilometres
National Highway.
Length (km)) Route
NH 44 (old NH 7)- 3,745 - Srinagar to Kanyakumari
NH 27 - 3,507.
- Porbandar in Gujarat to Silchar in Assam
NH 48 (old NH 8) 2,807- Delhi to Chennai
NH 52 -2,317.
-Sangrur, Punjab to Ankola, Karnataka
NH 30 (Old NH 221) -2,040.
-Sitarganj in Uttarakhand to Ibrahimpatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
NH 6.
- 1,873 - Jorabat in Meghalaya and terminates at Selling in Mizoram
NH 53 - 1,781- Hajira in Gujarat and Pradip port in Odisha.
NH 16 (Old NH 5)- 1,711-East coast of West Bengal to Chennai in Nadunadu
NH 66 (Old NH 17) -1,622-Panvel and terminates at Kanyakumari
NH 19 (Old NH 20) - 1,435-Delhi to Kolkata
NH 34 -1,426-Gangotri Dham in Uttarakhand to Lakhnadon in Madhya Pradesh.
Longest national highway
NH – 44, which crosses the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, India ‘Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the longest national road in India.
It stretches over approximately 3745 km.
NH 44 was previously called NH 7.
Smallest national highway
The minor national highway is NH 118 as well as NH 548.
NH 118 connects Asanbani in Jharkhand state to Jamshedpur at a distance of about 5 km.
NH 548 crosses the state of Maharashtra for a distance of about 5 km.
Highest national highway
The Leh-Manali Highway is the second-highest highway( high altitude) in the world connecting Shimla in Himachal Pradesh with Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.
Conclusion
Source: Google
India ranks second in the world in terms of national highways, this national highway carries about 40% of the total traffic. Within this, the national highways are interconnected by including more than 200 small and big ones. India has more than 100000 km of highways including the entire national highways. If it was not for the National Highway, then it would have been difficult for India to progress or the National Highway itself gives momentum to our economy and takes us from one state to another easily.Q1-Which is longest NH 7 or NH 44?
Answer-The NH 44 is the longest National Highway In India.
National Highway 44 (NH 44) was previously known as National Highway 7.
Q2-Who built NH 44?
Answer-NH-44 was laid and is maintained by Central Public Works Department(CPWD).
Q3-Who built GT road?
Answer-Chandragupta Maurya of the Mauryan Empire in ancient India, built his highway along this ancient route called Uttarapatha in the 3rd century BCE, extending it from the mouth of the Ganges to the north-western frontier of the Empire.
Q4-Which state has maximum national highway?
Answer-The correct answer is Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has the longest network of National Highways in India. Only three other states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra & Gujarat have a route length of more than 5000 Kms.
Q5-Which Indian state has no national highway?
Answer-district in Karnataka has no national highway. district in Karnataka has no national highway.
