In a big push for infrastructure development, the road transport and highways ministry has sought Cabinet approval for Rs.22 trillion investments in a highway development plan covering around 30,600 km by 2031-32.

The plan, submitted to the finance ministry and shared with all key ministries last week, includes construction of 18,000 km of expressways and high-speed corridors, decongestion of 4,000 km national highways around cities and building of strategic and international roads.

Around 35 per cent of the investment will come from the private sector. The master plan for highway development has been proposed in two phases.

The Rs.22 trillion estimate is for projects to be taken up in the first phase. Once completed, the average travel speed of trucks on the national highway network will go up to 85 kmph from the current 47 kmph.

The average travel speed on highways is over 100 kmph in the US and 90 kmph in China. The government expects that increasing the average speed will help India achieve its target of reducing logistic costs to 9-10 percent of the GDP.