India has one of the largest road networks in the world, aggregating to about 3.34 million kilometres at present. The country’s road network consists of National Highways, State Highways, Major District Roads, Other District Roads and Village Roads. The road network comprises 66,754 ckm of National Highways, 1,28,000 km of State Highways, 4,70,000 km of Major District Roads and about 26,50,000 km of Other District and Rural Roads. Out of the total length of National Highways, about 32 per cent is single lane/ intermediate lane, about 55 per cent is standard 2-lane and balance 13 per cent is 4-lane width or more. Though National Highways account for only 2 per cent of the total length of roads, they account for about 40 per cent of the total traffic.56

As of November 30, 2007, 7,962 km of National Highways under NHDP project has been completed, the bulk of which (5,629 km) lies on the GQ. About 7,744 km of National Highways are under construction. Nearly 96 per cent works on GQ have been completed by November 2007 and the NS and EW Corridors are   expected to be completed by December 2009.

The upgradation of 12,109 km has been approved by the Government under NHDP Phase- III at an estimated cost of Rs. 80,626 crore. In addition to the above-mentioned approved projects, there is a proposal for two-laning with paved shoulder for 20,000 km of National Highways under

NHDP Phase-IV. The Government has also approved six-laning of 6,500 km of NHs comprising

5,700 km of GQ and balance 800 km of other sections of NHs under NHDP Phase-V at a cost of Rs. 41,210 crore. The Government has approved construction of 1,000 km of expressways with full access control on new alignments at a cost of Rs. 16,680 crore under NHDP Phase-VI and the construction of ring roads including improvement of NH Links in City, grade separated intersections, flyovers, elevated highways, ROBs, underpasses and service roads at a cost of Rs. 16,680 crore under NHDP Phase-VII.

The Eleventh Five Year Plan places high priority to the expeditious completion of works approved under the different phases of the NHDP. For the roads and bridges sector, the Eleventh Five Year Plan envisages a total investment of Rs. 3,14,152 crore (approximately US$ 78.5 billion @ Rs. 40/$) over the five-year period starting from 2007-08. Of this the shares of the Centre, the States and the private sector are expected to be 34.2, 31.8 and 34 per cent, respectively.