The NorthâÂÂSouth and EastâÂÂWest Corridor is a network of national highways connecting major cities of India. It consists of two highway systems – the NorthâÂÂSouth highway extending from Srinagar in the north to Kanyakumari in the south with a spur to Kochi and the EastâÂÂWest highway extending from Silchar in the east to Porbandar in the west.
The project was part of the first phase of the National Highways Development Project executed by the Government of India. The roads were constructed and are maintained by the National Highway Authority of India under the purview of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The road system consists of access controlled four or six-lane highways, built at a cost of billion. , about of the project was complete.
In 1998, the Government of India launched the National Highways Development Project (NHDP). The project envisaged the development of about of four and six lane highways at an estimated cost of . The NorthâÂÂSouth and EastâÂÂWest Corridor project is part of the second phase of NHDP, and involved the construction of of multi-lane highways connecting the major cities. It was intended to establish better and faster transport networks thereby reducing costs, and drive economical growth by providing better access to markets.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was tasked with the implementation of the project. As per the original plan, the project was intended to be completed by 2007. As of 2001, about were converted to four-laned roads. Only 11% of the work was completed by December 2005 and the revised deadline was set for December 2009. However, the government informed the Parliament of India in 2009 that only 59% of the work was complete. A parlimenatry panel probe revealed that about of the highways were complete in 2012 and the panel further criticised NHAI for the delay in the project citing inadequate planning. , about of the project has been completed.
The NorthâÂÂSouth and EastâÂÂWest Corridor consists of multi-lane highways connecting major cities. It consists of two highway systems – the NorthâÂÂSouth highway extending from Srinagar in the north to Kanyakumari in the south with a spur to Kochi and the EastâÂÂWest highway extending from Silchar in the east to Porbandar in the west.