Advertisement
When should a housing society in Mumbai start considering re...
From GST on JDAs to SEBI’s REIT reclassification and the S...
Stay ahead in the world of real estate with our daily podcas...
Stay ahead in the world of real estate with our daily podcas...
The Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry held a consultation workshop earlier this week, chaired by Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari, to deliberate on innovative policy measures aimed at improving urban connectivity. The discussions focused on building ring roads, bypasses, and elevated corridors to reduce congestion on National Highways passing through growing cities. Officials and dignitaries also considered sustainable financing models, state participation, and amendments to existing laws for smoother land acquisition and project execution.
The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari chaired a consultation workshop earlier this week on innovative policy interventions to address urban traffic congestion through the development of ring roads and bypasses. According to an official statement, the session underlined the government's commitment to building world-class, sustainable, and future-ready transport infrastructure, with particular emphasis on decongesting urban stretches of National Highways. Advertisement
Discussions centred on the need to divert traffic away from city centres by constructing ring roads and bypasses. Officials highlighted that adopting value capture financing models would provide sustainable funding, while aligning highway projects with city master plans would ensure seamless integration. These steps were expected to not only improve mobility but also support planned and regulated development in influence zones of such infrastructure.
The consultation aimed to gather views from state and union territory governments on key policy initiatives being finalised by the Centre. These policies were expected to play a significant role in strengthening infrastructure development and coordinated urban planning along National Highways nationwide. The proposed Urban Decongestion Policy targets traffic bottlenecks in cities with populations exceeding one lakh through access-controlled ring roads, bypasses, and elevated corridors.
The ministry also outlined the State Road Development Policy, which seeks central assistance for upgrading high-traffic state highways to four or more lanes. The draft suggests a cost-sharing model between the Centre and state governments, further complemented by public-private partnership arrangements to draw private investment.
Proposals to amend the National Highways Act, 1956, were presented to streamline land acquisition, enhance transparency, and reinforce dispute resolution. Measures include faster compensation procedures and broader public communication of notifications. The ministry additionally emphasised stricter enforcement of the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002, to safeguard the right of way. Delegating enforcement powers to district magistrates and local authorities is expected to enable quicker action against encroachments and smoother project implementation.
Senior officials of the ministry presented detailed briefings on the objectives and features of the proposed policies. Inputs were also taken from external agencies, including the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, ensuring inter-departmental coordination.
With policies focused on ring roads, bypasses, and elevated corridors, the government is aiming to balance mobility with structured urban growth. By introducing sustainable financing models, simplifying land acquisition, and strengthening enforcement, these initiatives are designed to accelerate project delivery and attract private sector participation, thereby laying the groundwork for modern, well-planned transport corridors.
Source - PTI
5th Jun, 2025
25th May, 2023
11th May, 2023
27th Apr, 2023
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
