Government announces plans for 74 new tunnels worth Rs.1 lakh crore to revolutionize highway connectivity

74 new tunnels to transform highway network

In a major initiative to enhance the national highway infrastructure, the Indian government has announced plans to construct 74 new tunnels over the next few years, with an estimated investment of Rs.1 lakh crore. This ambitious project aims to further strengthen the country’s road network and improve connectivity.

To date, the government has successfully completed 35 tunnels, spanning 49 kilometers, at a cost of Rs.15,000 crore. The new projects will add 273 kilometers of tunnel infrastructure. Currently, 69 tunnels totaling 134 kilometers are under construction with an investment of Rs.40,000 crore, according to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.

Speaking at the FICCI Tunnelling India conference in New Delhi, Minister Gadkari emphasized the government’s commitment to transforming India into a $5 trillion economy. He highlighted the critical need for cost-effective and permanent road solutions to address challenges such as rainfall, landslides, and floods.

Minister Gadkari also announced plans to allow foreign partners to hold up to 51 percent stake in joint ventures for tunnel construction and detailed project reports. This move aims to enhance work quality and bring advanced technology to the sector. “We need to identify the most effective and cost-efficient technologies without compromising on quality,” Gadkari stated. He also stressed the importance of performance audits, describing them as “more important than financial audits” in ensuring project efficiency.

Bhavani Koneru from FICCI’s Committee on Transport Infrastructure called for the development of Indigenous tunnelling technologies tailored to India’s unique geological conditions and cost constraints.

In recent infrastructure developments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh in March, the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel at 13,000 feet, built at a cost of Rs.825 crore. In July, PM Modi also launched the construction of the Shinkun La Tunnel, a 4.1-kilometer twin-tube tunnel on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha road to ensure uninterrupted connectivity to northern borders with China. Additionally, the Atal Tunnel, completed on October 3, 2020, after a decade of work by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), was built at a cost of over Rs.3,200 crore.

These developments reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to expand and modernize India’s highway infrastructure, contributing to improved connectivity and regional development.

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