The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has started expediting work on 923 ongoing road projects, many of which have overshot their original deadlines. The target is to complete at least half by March 2026 through faster clearances, quicker land acquisition, and timely release of central funds.

A strict monitoring system with monthly top-level reviews has been introduced to ensure deadlines are met. MoRTH estimates a total expenditure of Rs 7.7 lakh crore for these projects, exceeding the revised Rs 7.6 lakh crore and the original Rs 7.3 lakh crore estimates. Data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation shows that road projects dominate infrastructure completions. In Q1/FY26, 81 road projects accounted for 69.8 percent of all central infrastructure completions.

Some projects have faced extreme delays — for example, the rehabilitation of NH-219 in Andhra Pradesh took nine years and eight months against the planned October 2015 deadline, while Maharashtra’s NH-361 fourlaning took eight years and three months versus a March 2017 target. The ministry’s intensified efforts aim to resolve bottlenecks and accelerate delivery, ensuring significant infrastructure progress in the coming years.