27 National Highway Projects Underway in Karnataka, ₹31,749 Cr Sanctioned: Govt Reveals Progress Gaps

A government statement on progress on the 27 National Highway projects worth ₹31,749 crore now underway in Karnataka along the 1,151 km section is given by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.

Responding to a question raised by Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivas Poojary in the Lok Sabha on July 31, Gadkari provided details of the status, timelines, sanctioned amounts, and funds released for each project.

So far, 537 km have been completed out of the total distance, with ₹14,455 crore already incurred as expenditure. According to the government, investment decisions are based on feasibility studies and detailed project reports (DPRs) prepared in line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

However, alarming delays are noted in some of the high-value projects. One such project is the six-laning of the Nelamangala-Tumakuru section of NH-48, sanctioned for ₹2,032 Crore; out of the total 44.73 km, only 10.3 km has been completed.

Yet another sluggish project is the NH-66 Mangaluru Phalguni River new six-lane bridge. While foundation work has consumed ₹27 crore, physical progress is hardly noticeable. The new completion date for this project will be December 31, 2025.

Poojary sought clarification on ongoing and upcoming projects. The reply emphasized that projects are all linked to elaborate assessments and greater infrastructure strategies, even though implementation faces hurdles in some corridors.

These are 27 projects under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and are distributed over the length and breadth of the state, indicating that the central government is keen on bringing improvement in road connectivity in Karnataka. But now, less than half of the total highway length has been completed, with many important projects lagging. Hence, all the attention has now turned to speeding up implementation and, in fact, achieving revised deadlines.