Why is it in the news?

• The deadline for Bharatmala Phase 1, a flagship highway development program under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, has been extended by six years to 2027-28.

Bharatmala Pariyojana

• Launched in 2017, it is an umbrella program for the highways sector, focusing on developing critical infrastructure gaps by constructing 34,800 km of National Highways by 2022.
• As of November 2023, 42% of the Bharatmala Phase 1 project has been completed.

Objectives:

• Optimize efficiency in freight and passenger movement across the country.
• Improve connectivity in the North East.
• Enhance efficiency of existing corridors through the development of Multimodal Logistics Parks.

Features:

• Utilizes satellite mapping to identify corridor upgradation requirements.
• Conducts technology-based automated traffic surveys at over 1,500 points.
• Origin-Destination study of freight movement across 600 districts.

Gaps in Highway Infrastructure

• Inadequacy in optimizing the National Highway network and road network due to resource constraints.
• Lack of integrated planning in connecting major corridors and ports with the hinterland.
• Presence of congestion points, even on developed corridors.
• Lack of accident response infrastructure.

Components of Bharatmala Phase-I