DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE

abhishreshthaa

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DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE

Road capacity and quantity also play a critical role in the fuel performance of the vehicles as well as in road congestion, safety and pollution from vehicle emissions.


A study by the Central Road Research Institute indicated that 90% of even the national highways are non-motorable by world standards. 60% of the length of state highways has poor riding quality and substandard geometry. One estimate predicts a saving of at least 10% automobile fuel consumption by better-maintained roads


Most of the expansion of the road network has been meant to achieve rural connectivity and access to remote areas. As a result, the length of national highway (NH) roads has increased from 24,000 km to only 35,000 km in 25 years, even though 35% of inter-city vehicle-kms are on NH and 75% on NH plus SH [MST, 1991].


The average traffic density of 1.37 passenger car units (PCUs) per km road length in 1950-51 has increased 8.53 times by 1988-89 and may reach 25 times by 2000. Considering the likely increase in traffic density on the national highways, it was targeted in 1992 that at least 4,000 km should be two-laned, 19,000 km weak pavements be strengthened, 14,900 km be four laned, 1,000 km of expressways be constructed on routes having greater than 40,000 PCUs by 1995 and 44 bypasses be provided.


The total cost (1991 prices) of all these along with other miscellaneous works amounts Rs.41.39 billion. The enormity of the task is seen from the actual capital expenditure of only Rs. 4.7 billion and maintenance expenditure of Rs. 1.81 billion.


The government is trying to obtain loans and Private sector participation. But commercial viability can be established only with considerable increase in user taxes/tolls.
 
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