SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has 2 new national highway projects totalling 81 kilometres approved so far in the current financial year (2025–26) at an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore, after five projects covering 29 kilometres were sanctioned in 2024–25 at a reported cost of Rs 1,262 crore, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways told the Lok Sabha on December 11, 2025.
The figures were supplied by the ministry to a written reply by Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari. The 2024–25 approvals for Jammu and Kashmir comprised five projects with a combined length of 29 km and a sanctioned cost of Rs 1,262 crore. In 2025–26 (up to November 2025) two projects totalling 81 km have been approved with an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore.
The ministry said development and maintenance of national highways is a continuous process and that works are taken up on the basis of traffic density, connectivity requirements, condition of the road and alignment with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. State and Union Territory governments submit proposals for declaration and upgradation of state roads as national highways, which are then assessed and notified by the Centre.
To safeguard construction quality, the ministry outlined a range of monitoring and quality-control measures now being deployed on national highway projects. These include adoption of automated and machine-aided construction techniques; mandatory road-condition assessments by Network Survey Vehicles before and after work and at six-monthly intervals; drone surveys integrated with artificial intelligence analytics for periodic evaluation; and deployment of Mobile Quality Control Vans equipped with non-destructive testing equipment (piloted in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha and Karnataka). The ministry also uses consultants for day-to-day site supervision and engages third-party quality auditors on a case-to-case basis.
The data tabled in Parliament lists statewise approvals for 2024–25 and 2025–26 (up to November 2025), showing large-scale activity in several States: for example, Madhya Pradesh recorded 846 km of approvals in 2024–25 (Rs 19,790 crore) and Andhra Pradesh 166 km (Rs 2,193 crore). Jammu and Kashmir’s recent approvals form part of this nationwide expansion drive intended to strengthen connectivity, reduce travel time and improve road safety.
The ministry said deficiencies observed during inspections are brought to the notice of concessionaires and contractors for corrective action and that contractual provisions allow action against defaulting agencies.
