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Looks like Bharat Mala Road Project is the next big game changer for road transport in India after the Golden Quadrilateral Project. Govt just approved mega Rs 7-lakh crore project to develop 83,000 km highways in 5 years
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/61196485.cms

Illustration of How Bharat Mala Project Will Change The Way You Travel:

If you want to drive between Mumbai and Kochi, the current fastest route is 200 kms more than the alternate coastal route



But after the Bharat Mala Project is complete, this is how you will be getting to Kochi from Mumbai:



Since the distance is shorter by 180 kms, expect 3 hour time saving over the existing route. Another advantage is that the Bharat Mala Road network will ease the traffic on the Golden Quadrilateral road network. The road project also has geo-strategic advantages since it will help in quick troop movement in the border areas and improves connectivity to the North East.




Old thread on this topic:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...3-billion.html

Another news article about this project. Source: Financial Express

Would this mean that for the next five years, our existing infrastructure would be plagued by diversion ahead boards? I'm particularly intrigued and inquisitive about the whole ROB thing that the article mentions.

:OTOnce done, I'm sure there will be a lot of petrolheads who'd want to ride/drive the entire stretch and write more interesting travelogues.

Absolutely; ask anyone that does Mumbai/Pune to Bangalore/Goa. And five years is a minimum.

A trenchant comment on this:

"Bharat Mala" is basically a reworked and updated form of the National Highways Development Programme that is almost two decades old, but let that be for now. What's fascinating is that it was hinted at by the Roads Ministry months ago, and hailed in the media, then the PMO's reaction was leaked, and hailed in the media, and now we are told that it has been decided on, and it's being hailed in the media. I am at a loss to understand why we should be excited about another such announcement - especially when the government has failed ever to build roads at the rate that it has set for itself. Last year - a good year for road-building - it built only 5,200 kms of the 15,000 kms it intended to.

Unless the Toll collection system is not upgraded, none of the highway projects would make huge differences.

What will happen here according to me, is that the roads will become good but ultimately the average speeds would be the same as more toll collection booths will be placed on these routes. Not to mention odd rates for the tolls (for eg Rs. 55/- or Rs. 117/- etc) these add up waiting times as the toll collectors take time give complex change amounts to each and every one.

The golden quadrilateral and North side corridors are still not done completely. Why are they not planning to complete them? Also, as others have pointed out the advantage of 4 lane roads is completely ruined by toll booths.

Because completing existing projects does not get anywhere as much mileage as announcing new gifts to the nation accompanied by much self praise and chest thumping. Although how a project paid for by nothing other than our taxes can be called a gift to us, I fail to see. Unless we have now reached a stage where any honest spending of tax collections to give us the benefit of these is now acknowledged to be rare enough to be called a gift.

What routes are covered as per this scheme? I could not find the details anywhere apart from your illustration.

I don't think the detailed road map is in public domain yet, but should be out soon on NHDP website. On this link, there is a 10 minute presentation on how the network is conceptualized.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/61196485.cms

So basically -

1) The new network will pass through all the major coastal towns.



2) It is meant to complement the Golden Quadrilateral network that already passes through major cities on eastern coast. So obviously, more of the work will be done on western and southern coast.

3) In border areas (West, North, East & North East India), the Bharat Mala road network will pass through major cities or towns close to the border with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

4) There will be feeder routes from border/coastal road to major tourist attractions (the video mentions Ajmer as an illustration), industrial corridors (to improve truck average speeds) and also to connect India with its friendly neighbors to improve cross border road trade. That's how it adds up to 35,000 kms

How I wish there could be a national highway from South Karnataka to northern tip running equidistance from west and east side borders. They could do that with other states too. Then have feeder highways running off of them in a 'V' shape thereby covering most of the states.
They need to run new roads away from the established roads and cities to decongest urban areas.

This project is very good on paper, the implementation and completion are something entirely different. I know the kind of blocks that will come up when they have to acquire land for building roads in kerala. The local public don’t believe in handing over anything the easy way. If this completes in a decade, it will be very excellent.

Smartcat, given your expertise in equities, which are the companies who stand to gain from these projects (and hence an upside on their stock prices can be expected) Cement, port and engineering consultancies come to mind, not sure about specific companies

This may not be relevant to this thread and you may choose to answer on the equity thread you have written.

If only it would complete in 5 years.
Sections of Golden quadrilateral are still under perpetual construction despite so many years. It is an ambitious project no doubt. Hope it comes through as well!!

OK - 180 kms less to travel and a three hour reduction in travel time will indeed translate into sizeable financial savings.

What about the environmental damage though?

Smartcat would surely have witnessed the change of scenario on the Mangalore - Karwar route, post four laning (there was a cave in during this monsoon in one of the sections).

And, some part of the work along the Ratnagiri coast is already underway - in some places, the road actually hugs the sea, and I have seen a bridge built near the sea, where they have practically chopped off a section of the hill.

Irreversible damage Vs. Infrastructure development - at what cost?

There is another aspect; the better roads also destroys value for those of us that travel to see and experience more than we can in the cities, by the damage caused by the flood of Indians using the developed infrastructure, Indians that don't know how to stop littering wherever they go.

The Bhor Varandha stretch near Pune is a classic example. Terrible roads, no one goes there unless they live there. But for visiting travellers, nature in all its glory remains for enjoying it in peace. Even the narrow twisting roads look appropriate in that setting. Long may it remain undeveloped.

We need both.

Unfortunately, without infrastructure development, we won't have economic growth, increase in salaries, job creation, and finally, the ability to bring a vast part of our population out of poverty. There is no real viable alternative to capitalism as of today. Even Bhutan, which prides itself on their "happiness index" and being "carbon negative", is slowly and sadly succumbing to "development". People there are slowly seeing the comforts and luxuries that other countries have been enjoying, and want it too.

At our level, we may have enjoyed the fruits of environment destruction by driving faster cars, building bigger houses, and general growth. Would it be fair to deny that for those who haven't enjoyed it yet?

As is the case most of the time, a middle path would be ideal, instead of extreme positions. Given the limited land mass and high population density in our country (compared to say, the United States), it is difficult to plan massive afforestation too.

Sorry for being off topic.