Parliament Question: Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6318 ANSWERED ON 02ND APRIL, 2026 BHARATMALA PARIYOJANA PHASE-I 6318. SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT: SHRI ARUN GOVIL: Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार् ग मंत्री be pleased to state: (a) the progress of the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I as it nears completion in March 2026 and the total length of access-controlled high-speed corridors operationalised since 2014 till date; (b) the impact of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Ganga Expressway on reducing travel time and logistics cost for industrial clusters in western and northern india including Western Uttar Pradesh particularly in the Meerut region; (c) the status of the Parvatmala (National Ropeways Development Programme) in providing last-mile connectivity to high-altitude pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh; and (d) whether the Government has conducted any assessment to strengthen additional road connectivity keeping in view the requirements of the developing industrial and export hubs in and around Meerut and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)(a) Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I was approved by the Government in 2017, covering a length of 34,800 km across the country at an estimated outlay of ₹5,35,000 crore. Under the programme, projects covering a total length of 26,425 km have been awarded, out of which 22,223 km has been constructed upto February 2026. The length of operational access-controlled National High-Speed Corridors (HSCs) / expressways has increased from 93 km in 2014 to 3,644 km as of February 2026. (b) The Delhi–Mumbai Expressway is an access-controlled, high- speed corridor aimed at facilitating efficient movement of passenger and freight traffic across Western and Northern India, including Western Uttar Pradesh. The corridor is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Mumbai by about 50% (to 12–13 hours from approximately 25 hours) for passenger vehicles and by about 51% (to 15–16 hours from approximately 32 hours) for commercial vehicles. It also provides a reduction in travel distance of about 16% (from 1,424 km to 1,242 km), thereby improving overall route efficiency. The improved connectivity and reduction in travel time are expected to enhance freight movement efficiency and support logistics operations along the corridor and its influence areas. The Ganga Expressway project is being implemented by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) under the Government of Uttar Pradesh. (c) The status of the Ropeway projects taken up under National Ropeways Development Programme in the State of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is as under: S. Ropeway project Length Status / stage State / UT No. / Stretch Name (in km) 2.32 Project is being Himachal 1 Bijli Mahadev reconsidered due to Pradesh local opposition. Sonprayag to 12.9 The work has been 2 Uttarakhand Kedarnath Awarded Govind Ghat to 12.4 The work has been 3 Uttarakhand Hemkund Sahib Awarded JiKathgodam- 14.9 Under DPR stage 4 Uttarakhand Hanuman Temple (d) Development of National Highways is a continuous process. The Government assesses the requirement of road infrastructure, including connectivity needs of emerging industrial and export hubs across the country and projects are taken up based on the outcome of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), traffic demand, connectivity requirements and synergy with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP). *****