Nearly 580 Highway Projects Worth ₹3.9 Lakh Crore Facing Delays.

Nearly 580 national highway projects, with a combined value of approximately ₹3.9 lakh crore, are currently facing significant delays, according to sources familiar with the matter. This information comes as another 200 projects, valued at ₹1.6 lakh crore, have been awarded but have not yet started construction.

The primary reasons for the delays are a mix of administrative and logistical hurdles. Land acquisition remains the biggest obstacle, accounting for 28% of all delayed projects. Complications with contractors and pending statutory clearances, particularly forest clearances, are responsible for 19% and 13% of the delays, respectively.

Despite these setbacks, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made progress in tackling long-standing issues. Through enhanced monitoring and problem-solving, the number of projects delayed for over three years has been nearly halved, dropping from 152 in April 2024 to 81 as of July 2025. This has contributed to an overall 16% reduction in delayed projects during the first four months of the current fiscal year.

"The target is to reduce the number of delayed projects significantly as these cause cost escalation and deprive people of the desired benefit," a government official told ET.

To address these challenges, highway-building agencies are now holding monthly coordination meetings to clear bottlenecks. A new focus has also been placed on completing projects that are nearly finished but stalled by minor pending work.

Another issue is the status of 276 sanctioned projects, valued at ₹1.4 lakh crore, which have not yet reached the bidding stage. This is largely due to new regulations that prevent bids from opening until at least 80% of the required land has been acquired.