THE National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is undertaking extensive improvement works to rectify identified black spots on national highways across Chhattisgarh, with the aim of enhancing road safety and improving traffic management. Projects worth over Rs 200 crore are currently at various stages of implementation, including the construction of underpasses, service roads, and other structural safety measures.

 

As part of its road safety initiatives, NHAI has already installed rumble strips, crash barriers, solar blinkers, high-mast lighting systems, and standard signboards at accident-prone locations and along high-traffic stretches of national highways. These measures are intended to reduce accidents and ensure smoother movement of vehicles. To further streamline traffic flow and facilitate safe movement of local traffic across highways, several underpasses and service roads have been planned.

 

Tenders have been issued for the construction of underpasses and service roads at Sundra, Pendri, Chichola, Maharajpur, and Somni villages on the Durg to Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border stretch of National Highway53. These works are estimated to cost around Rs 90 crore. In addition, the process for constructing an underpass at Rasamada, with an estimated cost of about Rs 30 crore, is under way.

 

The tendering process has also been completed for the construction of underpasses at Sankara and Siltara on the RaipurSimga stretch of National Highway30, at a cost exceeding Rs 80 crore. A bypass crossing at Charoda is also planned, with an estimated expenditure of approximately Rs 6.5 crore. Overall, underpass and service road projects on national highways in Chhattisgarh, amounting to an estimated Rs 206.85 crore, are progressing through different phases. Through these initiatives, NHAI is taking concrete steps to strengthen traffic management systems and improve road safety across the state’s national highway network.