The Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) is the largest express highway project in India launched

by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is the first phase of the National
Highways Development Project (NHDP), and consists of building 5,846 kilometres of
four/six lane express highways connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai (thus
forming a quadrilateral of sorts), at a cost of Rs. 60,000 crores (US$ 12.317 billion) (at
1999 prices) (Rs 580 billion). The highway is designed to be an express highway for
higher-speed traffic, yet the vast majority of the road is not an expressway since the road
is not controlled-access for the vast majority of its route, and so it is better considered as
a dual carriageway. On-ramps, off-ramps, and exits are largely absent except in certain
areas, although safety features such as guardrails, shoulders, and high-visibility signs are
used. The National Highways Authority of India has produced statistics to indicate that,
as of September 2007, 96% [http://www.nhai.org/gqmain_english.htm] of the entire work has
been completed. However, these statistics appear to be misleading: in practice, roadworks
are still a major feature of certain sections of the Golden Quadrilateral. For example, the
statistics indicate that the Delhi to Mumbai section is 100% complete, whereas in reality
there are a number of sections which are still single carriageway and in very poor repair
(for example the stretch to Ahmadabad in Gujarat). The whole project is a few years
behind schedule, due mainly to issues with the various states about giving up land for the
national highway and the termination of several contracts which take 6 months to be
issued. [http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=100459] In January, 2008 it
was announced that the project will now be expanded to cover 6,500 kilometers, some
portions of which will be developed into eight lanes.

The GQ project is managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under
the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the first
controlled-access toll road to be built in India is a part of the GQ Project though not
funded by NHAI. Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) has been one of
the major contributors to the infrastructural development activity in the GQ project.

Economic benefits

This highway will interconnect many major cities and ports. It will give an impetus to
truck transport throughout India. It will help in the industrial growth of all small towns
through which it passes. It will provide vast opportunities for transport of agricultural
produce from the hinterland to major cities and ports for export. In addition, it will
provide job opportunities in its construction as well as demand for cement, steel and other
construction materials.

Controversies and charges of corruption

The project involves an enormous outlay of funds and has been the focus of several
charges of corruption. In August 2003, project director Satyendra Dubey, in a letter to the
Prime Minister, outlined a list of malafide actions in a segment of this highway in Bihar.
Dubey claimed that the contractors for this stretch were not executing the project
themselves, but had sub-contracted the work to small builders who lacked technical
expertise. This would lead to substandard work, he claimed. Within months of this
whistleblowing action, Dubey was brutally assassinated in Gaya, Bihar. It is not clear that
any action was taken by NHAI on the more germane issues raised by Dubey.

In February 2006, a 600 meter stretch of the highway connecting Kolkata to Chennai
subsided into the ground, opening up ten meter gorges near Bally, West Bengal
[http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=87604 2] . This stretch had been
completed a year back by a Malaysian multinational firm, selected after global tendering.

Current status

Major cities

The completed Golden Quadrilateral will pass through many major cities throughout the
length and breadth of India.

NH-8 / NH-76 / NH-79 (Delhi - Mumbai)

* Delhi
* Gurgaon
* Jaipur
* Kishangarh
* Chittorgarh
* Udaipur
* Ahmedabad
* Vadodara
* Surat
* Mumbai

NH-4 / NH-7 / NH-46 (Mumbai - Chennai)

= NH-4 (Mumbai-Bangalore)=

*Mumbai
*Pune
*Satara
*Kolhapur
*Belgaum
*Hubli-Dharwad
*Haveri
*Davangere
*Chitradurga
*Sira
*Tumkur
*Bangalore (After Bangalore, NH4 connects Ranipet/Vellore through Chittoor. This is
not a part of the Golden Quadrilateral Project. The Golden Quadrilateral project, then
follows NH7 and NH46 before rejoining NH4 at Vellore/Ranipet).

= NH-7 (Bangalore - Krishnagiri)=

*Hosur
*Krishnagiri

= NH-46 (Krishnagiri - Ranipet)=

*Vellore
*Ranipet

= NH-4 (Ranipet - Chennai)=

*Walajapet
*Kanchipuram
*Chennai

NH-5 (Kolkata-Chennai)

*Kolkata
*Kharagpur
*Baleshwar
*Cuttack
*Bhubaneshwar
*Berhampur
*Srikakulam
*Vizianagaram
*Vishakapatnam
*Tuni
*Rajahmundry
*Tadepalligudem
*Eluru
*Vijayawada
*Guntur
*Ongole
*Nellore
*Gudur
*Chennai

Future Plans
Sections of NH-2, NH-5 and NH-8 have now been prioritized for further widening to six
lanes under DBFO (Design, Build, Finance, Operate) pattern and more sections would be
six-laned in the near future.

See also

* List of National Highways in India

* National Highways Development Project
* North-South and East-West Corridor

External links

* [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/international/asia/04highway.html?
ex=1291352400&en=d77dd2ca4f760ef0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
'Mile by Mile, India Paves a Smoother Future'] - extremely detailed "New York Times" article,
dated December 4, 2005 ("free registration required")
* [http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=100459 "Golden Quadrilateral still has
miles to go"] - Financial Express article dated August 26, 2005
* [http://www.nhai.org/ Official website of the National Highways Authority of India]
* [http://www.nhai.org/gqmain_english.htm Map of GQ progress on the NHAI website]
* [http://www.nhai-ris.org/ NHAI Road Information System]
* [http://www.morth.nic.in Ministry of Road Transport]
* [http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=298320 Pictures of Indian Highways - mainly the
Golden Quadrilateral]

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