| North–South and East–West Corridor | |
|---|---|
 Highway map of India with the corridor highlighted | |
 A section of the North-South corridor | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained byNHAI | |
| Length | 7,300 km (4,500 mi) |
| NH-44 andNH-544 | |
| Length | 4,000 km (2,500 mi) |
| North end | Srinagar |
| South end | Kanyakumari Kochi |
| NH-27 | |
| Length | 3,300 km (2,100 mi) |
| East end | Silchar |
| West end | Porbandar |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Highway system | |
TheNorth–South and East–West Corridor is a network ofnational highways connecting major cities of India. It consists of two highway systems – the North–South highway extending 4,000 km (2,500 mi) fromSrinagar in the north toKanyakumari in the south with a spur toKochi and the East–West highway extending 3,300 km (2,100 mi) fromSilchar in the east toPorbandar in the west.
The project was part of the first phase of theNational Highways Development Project executed by theGovernment of India. The roads were constructed and are maintained by theNational Highway Authority of India under the purview of theMinistry of Road Transport and Highways. The road system consists of access controlled four or six-lane highways, built at a cost ofUS$12.32 (equivalent to $23.25 in 2024) billion. As of 2017[update], about 6,579 km (4,088 mi) of the project was complete.
In 1998, theGovernment of India launched theNational Highways Development Project (NHDP).[1] The project envisaged the development of about 13,150 km (8,170 mi) of four and six lane highways at an estimated cost of₹540 billion (equivalent to₹2.3 trillion or US$27 billion in 2023).[2][3] The North–South and East–West Corridor project is part of the second phase of NHDP, and involved the construction of 7,300 km (4,500 mi) of multi-lane highways connecting the major cities.[4][5] It was intended to establish better and faster transport networks thereby reducing costs, and drive economical growth by providing better access to markets.[2][4]
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was tasked with the implementation of the project. As per the original plan, the project was intended to be completed by 2007.[4] As of 2001, about 675 km (419 mi) were converted to four-laned roads.[2] Only 11% of the work was completed by December 2005 and the revised deadline was set for December 2009.[6] However, the government informed theParliament of India in 2009 that only 59% of the work was complete.[7] A parlimenatry panel probe revealed that about 6,031 km (3,747 mi) of the highways were complete in 2012 and the panel further criticised NHAI for the delay in the project citing inadequate planning.[8] As of 2017[update], about 6,579 km (4,088 mi) of the project has been completed.[9]
The North–South and East–West Corridor consists 7,300 km (4,500 mi) of multi-lane highways connecting major cities. It consists of two highway systems – the North–South highway extending 4,000 km (2,500 mi) fromSrinagar in the north toKanyakumari in the south with a spur toKochi and the East–West highway extending 3,300 km (2,100 mi) fromSilchar in the east toPorbandar in the west.[1][10][11]
| Segment | Terminii | Length[2] | National Highway[12][13] | States/UTs[2][12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North-South | Srinagar–Kanyakumari/Kochi | 4,000 km (2,500 mi) | NH-44 andNH-544 |
|
| East-West | Silchar–Porbandar | 3,300 km (2,100 mi) | NH-27 |
|
| 7,300 km (4,500 mi) |
 Highways in India | ||
|---|---|---|
| Expressways |
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| National highways (list) |
| |
| State highways | ||
| Notable | ||
