The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has commenced work for construction of Raipur-Durg bypass road under Bharatmala project, officials informed.

Roads and highways measuring a total of 950 kms would be developed under Bharatmalaproject in Chhattisgarh.

The Central Government has already declared 290.08 kms of roads in Chhattisgarh as new National Highways during 2017-18, officials informed.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs) and considers declaration of State Roads as new National Highways from time to time depending upon requirement of connectivity, inter-se priority and availability of funds.

The Ministry has declared about 30,268 km of new National Highways (NHs) including 53 km of NHs (717A & 316A) in West Bengal since May 2014, they informed.

On the other hand, notably,  the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had already announced plans of  broadening NH–26 to augment connectivity between Raipur and Vishakhapatnam last year.

The total density of National Highways (NHs) in Chhattisgarh is at 23.4 kms per 1000 square kms out of the total length of 3,168 kms in the State, the Central Government has informed.

The declaration of State Roads as new NHs are done from time to time keeping in view the requirements of connectivity and availability of funds, it informed.

About 47,890 km length of State Roads have been approved “In-Principle” for their declaration as new NHs in the country subject to outcome of their Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).

It may be recalled that Chhattisgarh had been already inviting private investors to set up manufacturing clusters for taking advantage of five sea ports within its 600 km reach from the State.

With five ports Paradip and Dhamra in Odisha, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Machillipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the opportunity of setting up of manufacturing clusters in Chhattisgarh is immense, officials informed.