The journey from Delhi to Haridwar may soon become significantly shorter, with a new road project scheduled to open next month, union road hransport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday. Once operational, the route could bring travel time down to around 90 minutes.Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) National Conference on ‘Highways of India’s Future: Smart, Safe and Sustainable’, Gadkari said the expansion of the country’s road network was making religious destinations more accessible while supporting tourism and job creation.Pointing to the recently opened Delhi-Dehradun corridor, the minister said the journey between the two cities, which earlier took about seven hours, could now be completed in roughly two hours.He said the upcoming Delhi-Haridwar project would further improve access to one of the country’s prominent pilgrimage destinations, according to ET.Gadkari also cited road development work in Ayodhya and Maharashtra, including the Pandharpur Palkhi Marg projects, which are intended to make journeys easier for devotees. He said infrastructure development was being undertaken across regions, with roads, tunnels and bridges being built in the Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country.Expressways to open up new economic opportunitiesGadkari said greenfield expressways could bring regions with limited economic opportunities closer to major business centres, helping expand development beyond established urban hubs.The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, he said, would improve access for rural areas, aspirational districts and tribal regions. In Haryana, the project is expected to benefit aspirational districts, while Alwar, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur and Bundi in Rajasthan are among the areas that could gain from improved road links.He also pointed to Ratlam and Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh and Dahod in Gujarat, highlighting the potential for better connectivity to encourage economic activity in tribal districts.Stressing the importance of the Delhi-Mumbai route, Gadkari said stronger links between the national capital and Mumbai were crucial, given the latter’s position as the country’s economic hub.
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100 invested in infrastructure can create 325 economic impact: GadkariThe minister said infrastructure spending has benefits beyond the construction of roads, as projects generate employment and increase demand for cement, steel and construction equipment.He added that improved connectivity could lower transportation costs and make the movement of goods and people more efficient. These gains, he said, could benefit businesses, tourism and the development of towns.Describing infrastructure as a key driver of economic growth, Gadkari said every 100 invested in the sector could produce an economic impact of 325.“If we spend 100 on infrastructure, the impact on the economy comes to 325. GDP is also going to increase,” he said.Gadkari added that the government was continuing to focus on expressways and greenfield highways to improve links between regions, strengthen economic activity and support development across India.
