Feeder national highways to China border to go from 5.5m to 10m wide.




According to the road transport and highways ministry, all national highways that act as feeder roads to the China border or are of strategic importance for national security would be 10 metres wide.
 
The highways ministry modified its two-year-old circular limiting the width of such roads to 5.5 metres, which had become a bone of contention for the Chardham road widening project. 
 
The ministry, in a circular issued, said the earlier width standard does not address the issue concerning strategic roads. It said the standards prescribed have been further reviewed in light of the issues raised by the defence ministry.

The modified circular says, “For roads in hilly and mountainous terrain which act as feeder roads to the China border or are of strategic importance for national security, the carriageway width should be 7 metres with 1.5 metres paved shoulder on either side.”

Sources said the circular has been issued on the legal opinion of the attorney general of India that there is a need to build roads of 10 m width that lead to the China border. They added that the modified circular was placed before the HPC. So far, blacktopping has been completed on 425 km out of the 825 km Chardham road network.

 

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