Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 112 highway projects worth over $12 billion across the country.
The Indian Prime Minister unveiled the new projects at a ceremony in Gurugram, on the outskirts of Delhi.
One of the major projects launched by Modi was the Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway, which is a 19 kilometre, eight-lane state-of-the-art stretch built at the cost of $495 million, a statement by Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.
The expressway provides direct connectivity to the country's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, India's Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that the airport highway would cut travelling time between Haryana and the IGI airport to just around half an hour from the current two-and-a-half-hours.
“These projects will boost economic growth and are also in line with our efforts to build next-generation infrastructure,” Modi remarked.
The other projects inaugurated by the Indian Prime Minister include a six-lane urban extension project in Delhi, three projects in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, as well as multiple projects in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka states.
The highway projects were inaugurated weeks before the federal parliamentary (Lok Sabha) election, the dates for which are expected to be announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in coming days.
Modi Announced New Connectivity Projects Worth Over $7 Billion
The Indian Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones for over 50 new highway projects worth over $7 billion across the country.
Modi flagged the commencement of construction on stretches of Bengaluru-Kadappa-Vijayawada Expressway in Andhra Pradesh, Belgaum-Hungund-Raichur section in Karnataka, as well as highway projects in Haryana and Punjab among others.
"These projects will significantly contribute towards the growth of the national highway network as well as help in boosting socio-economic growth, enhance job opportunities and promote trade and commerce in regions across the country," an official statement underscored.