‘India will get highways of American standard’

Ahmedabad, Aug 07 (PTI):
National highways are being constructed at a very fast pace under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire country can hope of getting highways of an American standard in the next three years, Union Highways and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday.
He also said that 38 km of roads are being constructed every day now compared to just two km per day in the past. Gadkari on Saturday virtually dedicated to the nation a 3.75-km long four-lane elevated corridor in Deesa town of Banaskantha jointly with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Stating that a large number of projects of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry are underway in Gujarat under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, Gadkari asked Rupani to resolve the issues of land acquisition to quicken the pace of infrastructure development.
National highways are growing at a very fast pace under the leadership of Modiji. In the coming three years, the entire country will get highways of American standard, so I believe. At one time we were constructing two km of road per day, and today we are constructing 38 km per day, he said.
Gadkari said the Highways ministry has undertaken many projects in Gujarat, including 1,080 km (road construction) projects worth Rs 25,370 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. Among the projects is an expressway between Delhi and Mumbai that will pass through seven districts of Gujarat. I would request the Chief Minister (Rupani) to personally offer his guidance so that a way is found soon to resolve the issues of land acquisition.
This will certainly help expedite (road construction) projects being undertaken in Gujarat, Gadkari said in an address delivered virtually at a programme organised by the state government to mark the completion of five years in office by Rupani.
He said a national highway project in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, as requested by Union minister Parshottam Rupala, will start only when the tough land acquisition issue is resolved by the Gujarat government. He did not elaborate further on the projects being affected by land acquisition issues.