Govt plans Rs1-trn boost to tunnel infra

New Delhi: In a move to bolster the highway network across the country, the government is planning to build 74 new tunnels at a projected expense of Rs1 lakh crore over the next few years. The government has already completed 35 tunnels spanning 49 kms at a cost of Rs15,000 crore, and now plans to build new tunnels stretching 273 kms.

In the meantime, the country has significantly strengthened its tunnelling infrastructure, with 69 tunnels covering a total of 134 km currently under construction with an investment of Rs40,000 crore, according to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.