Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday laid the foundation for nine national highway construction projects spanning 88 km in Karnataka, with a combined investment of Rs 2,042 crore. He also pledged that road projects and schemes worth Rs 5 lakh crore will be undertaken in the state over the next five years.
Highlighting Karnataka’s expanding highway network, Gadkari noted its growth from 6,707 km in 2014 to about 9,424 km in 2025. To address Bengaluru’s chronic traffic congestion, he pointed to the Rs 15,000 crore Ring Road under construction—40 percent of which is already complete—and said it will significantly ease urban traffic once fully operational.
Among the new initiatives are a four‑lane road‑over‑bridge at Wadi on NH‑150, a retaining wall between Sampaje and Kushalnagar on NH‑275, and comprehensive safety upgrades for the six‑lane Bengaluru–Mysuru corridor. Currently, highway works worth Rs 3 lakh crore are under execution across Karnataka.
Gadkari further emphasised improved connectivity to aspirational districts as well as strengthened inter‑state links via the Delhi–Mumbai highway. He highlighted progress on key corridors, including the Hasan–Raichur four‑lane highway, the Hubballi–Dharwad stretch (70 percent complete), the Mysuru–Madikeri route, and the widened 47‑km Bidar–Humnabad section of NH‑367.
