In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari said the total length of national highways constructed and upgraded during the current financial year stood at around 3,468 km as of October 2025.
The minister said the government has strengthened road safety by issuing guidelines for regular safety audits at the design, construction and pre-opening stages of highway projects, as well as on existing corridors. To further reduce accidents and improve response times, Advanced Traffic Management Systems are being deployed on national highways.
These systems include AI-based video incident detection and enforcement, automatic number plate recognition cameras, pan-tilt-zoom surveillance cameras and real-time electronic monitoring to enable faster intervention during incidents.
Gadkari also highlighted the government’s push for sustainable infrastructure under the Green Highways Policy, 2015, which focuses on plantation, transplantation, beautification and maintenance along national highway corridors. Tree plantation is being carried out along highway rights-of-way in line with policy guidelines.
In addition, the use of waste materials such as plastic waste, fly ash and construction debris is being promoted in highway construction, subject to feasibility and availability. Waste plastic is being incorporated into bituminous mixes, while other materials are being used in embankments, pavement layers and concrete works to support environmentally sustainable and cost-effective highway development.
