A major programme of road development is planned for the Indian states of Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Odisha and West Bengal. In all some 1,120km of the country’s National Highways will be constructed in these states. This plan for road development forms part of the National Highways Interconnectivity Improvement Project. So far some 429km of these new roads have been completed, with all of the work expected to be finished by mid-2024. The work was initially expected to cost US$773 million but unforeseen e