Centre to build 74 tunnels across country at cost of over ₹1 lakh crore: Minister Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Road Transport has announced a plan to build 74 tunnels across the country, with an estimated cost of ₹1 lakh crore, aimed at strengthening the highway network. The total length of the tunnels will be 273 km, said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The project is expected to be completed within a few years. The announcement was made at the second edition of the 'Tunneling India' conference organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

"35 tunnels with a total length of 49 km have already been completed at a cost of ₹15,000 crore. Construction of 69 tunnels with a total length of 134 km is currently underway, at an estimated cost of ₹40,000 crore," said Gadkari.

The minister said that the safety of citizens on the roads is paramount, highlighting the need for cost-effective permanent solutions on the roads against rainfall, landslides and floods.

Minister Gadkari also spoke about allowing 51 per cent stake to foreign partners in joint ventures for building tunnels and detailed project reports to improve work quality.

“We need to find out exactly which is the best technology that is cost-effective without compromising on quality", said the minister.

Minister Gadkari underscored the critical role of performance audits in ensuring project efficiency, saying that "performance audit is more important than financial audit”.