The government has streamlined execution of highway projects worth Rs 1.50 lakh crore and a target of building 30 km of highways a day will be achieved in another two years, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said. Stress is also being laid on transporting goods and materials through inland water-ways whose share of the total traffic today in the country is only 0.5%.

According to Gadkari, the aim of the government would be construction of highways which match international standards and concretization of the national highways. The ministry plans to adopt EPC model where project execution is not possible through the PPP mode. He assured constructing 30 km of highways per day, saying “it will happen after two years and I have never failed to meet the target.”

Gadkari said projects worth Rs 1.50 lakh crore have been streamlined getting environmental and other clearances. Modern-day technology is also being introduced to expedite highway expansion including the idea of construction of tunnels in the Delhi-Jaipur corridor where acquiring land is prohibitively expensive, he said.