Major National Highways in India 

A significant element in Indian Geography is Transportation. It is the movement of a person or goods from one region to another. Transportation is solely and popularly done in three ways- via road, via waterways, and air. India is a country that has the second-largest connection of Road networks. 

In India, the network of roads is estimated as the largest transportation network in the world. The roads in India are classified. These categories include Border Roads, National and State Highways, District Highways, Village Roads, among others. The Border roads are maintained and managed by the Union Government; while the state highways are maintained by the respective State governments. The District Board looks and maintains the District Highways. In this article, we will look at the most important element of transportation via Road. This element is the National Highway. We will look at the major National Highways in India, in addition to the board that maintains these highways in the country. 

National Highway

National Highways are the connection or network of strategic roads within a country. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways owns these Roads. However, it is managed and maintained by different boards, namely, the National Highway Authority of India, National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, and the Public Works department of the respective State Governments. 

Out of the total proportion of Road networks in India, National Highways constitute approximately 2.7 percent. The major proportion of these Highways is four-laned, that is, there are two lanes in each direction of the Road. However, there are several Highways where these four-laned roads are expanded and made into six or more laned roads. National Highways are connected to a city or a town through by-pass roads. 

In the year 1998, the country launched a huge provision for the up-gradation of Highways. This provision was known as the National Highways Development Project. Through this, the main east-west and the north-south highways and corridors that connect the major metropolitan cities of the country- Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi- were expanded into four-laned trunk roads. To maintain, develop, and coordinate the National Highways, Roads that are laid down strategically, and other infrastructure- the central government through the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways owned a company. This company was known as the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. This company came into function in July 2014. 

Now, let us look at the board that maintains the major national highway projects in India. 

National Highway Authority of India

In 1988, an autonomous body was implemented by the Union Government. This independent body was the National Highway Authority of India. The major national highways in India are maintained and managed by this independent body. It has the sole responsibility of managing the roadway transportation network- through National Highways- in the country. The structure of the National Highway Authority is structured in three levels. This level is- headquarters, regional offices, and Plan and project implementation unit. The members and the chairman of the National Highway Authority in India are elected and appointed by the Union Government. 

Some of the functions of the NHAI are-

• Developing and providing construction and consultancy
• Collecting fees concerning National Highways
• On matters of National Highways, the body advises the Union Government 
• Responsibility for providing several facilities and amenities, concerning national highway travelers. 
• Has the responsibility of formulating and implementing several schemes, concerning the major national highway in India? 

Numbering and list of National Highway

Currently, there are 599 national highways in India. It must be noted that the numbering of these national highways in India has been renewed, over years. 

Numbering:

• The east-west national highways have an odd numbering. 
• The north-south national highway has an even numbering.
• Three-digit numbering in national highways points that these routes are secondary and complementary in nature. 
• Alphabetical suffixes to the three-digit national highway numbering points stretch of the sub-division of highways. 
• The major national highways in India have single-digit or double-digit numbering.

Some major national highways in India are:

• NH44- Longest National Highway connecting Srinagar and Kanyakumari. 
• NH766EE- Shortest National Highway connecting two ports in Karnataka. 

Golden Quadrilateral-

• NH19- connecting Bihar, Haryana, Delhi, UP Jharkhand, and West Bengal. 
• NH16- connecting West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
• NH48- connecting Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi. 

Conclusion

Transportation is the movement of a person or goods from one region to another. Transportation is solely and popularly done in three ways- via road, waterways, and air. In India, the network of roads is estimated as the largest transportation network in the world. National Highways are the connection or network of strategic roads within a country. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways owns these Roads. Currently, there are 599 national highways in India. In 1988, an autonomous body was implemented by the Union Government. This independent body was the National Highway Authority of India. The major national highways in India are maintained and managed by this independent body. The board maintains the major national highway projects in India.