Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox road The Golden Quadrilateral (Template:Langx; abbreviated GQ) is a network of national highways connecting major cities of India. It roughly forms a quadrilateral with major cities – Delhi (north), Kolkata (east), Mumbai (west) and Chennai (south) forming the termini. Stretching Template:Cvt, it is one of the longest roads in the world.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The project was part of the first phase of the National Highways Development Project executed by the Government of India. The roads were constructed and are maintained by the National Highway Authority of India under the purview of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The road system consists of access controlled four or six-lane highways, built at a cost of Template:INRConvert. The project was launched in 1999, and completed in 2012.
Background and planningEdit
In 1998, the Government of India launched the National Highways Development Project (NHDP). The project envisaged the development of about Template:Cvt of four and six lane highways at an estimated cost of Template:INRconvert.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="GQ">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Golden Quadrilateral project was part of the first phase of NHDP, and involved the construction of Template:Cvt of multi-lane highways connecting the major cities.<ref name="AR">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="Nat">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was intended to establish better and faster transport networks between major cities, thereby reducing accidents and costs,<ref name="GQ"/> and drive economical growth by providing better access to markets.<ref name="Nat"/><ref name="Forbes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="BT">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ConstructionEdit
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was tasked with the implementation of the project.<ref name="BT"/> The foundation stone for the project was laid on 6 January 1999 by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> As per the original plan, majority of the project was intended to be completed by December 2004.<ref name="AR"/> However, as of July 2005, four laning of only Template:Cvt was complete, and the project timeline was revised to be completed by December 2006.<ref name="FE">Template:Cite news</ref>
The project faced further delays due to land acquisition issues, disputes with contractors, and renegotiation of contracts.<ref name="BT"/><ref name="FE"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A NHAI engineer Satyendra Dubey wrote letter to the prime minister highlighting that the large contractors were being given inside information by NHAI officials, and the contractors were subcontracting the work to smaller companies which lacked technical expertise.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While Dubey was transferred and was later murdered for voicing out his concerns, NHAI implemented reforms in contract procedures due to the allegations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In September 2009, the government announced plans to convert the existing four-lane highways into six-lane highways in the future.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As per an update given to the Parliament of India, about 99.7% of the project was complete by 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In January 2012, the government announced that the entire project has been completed.<ref name="IE">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The final cost of the project was estimated at Template:INRconvert.<ref name="BT"/>
NetworkEdit
The Golden Quadrilateral consists Template:Cvt of multi-lane highways roughly forming a quadrilateral connecting four major cities – Delhi (north), Kolkata (east), Mumbai (west) and Chennai (south).<ref name="AR"/><ref name="Nat"/><ref name="IE"/>
| Segment | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
National Highway<ref name="NH">Template:Cite report</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
States/UTs<ref name="NH"/> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi–Mumbai | Template:Cvt | NH-48 | |||
| Mumbai–Chennai | Template:Cvt | NH-48 | |||
| Kolkata–Chennai | Template:Cvt | NH-16 | |||
| Delhi–Kolkata | Template:Cvt | NH-19 and NH-44 | |||
| Template:Cvt |
Major townsEdit
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| Segment | State/UT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi–Mumbai | Gujarat | Haryana | Maharashtra | National Capital Territory | Rajasthan | |
| Mumbai–Chennai | Karnataka | Maharashtra | Tamil Nadu | |||
| Kolkata–Chennai | Andhra Pradesh | Odisha | Tamil Nadu | West Bengal | ||
| Delhi–Kolkata | Bihar | Jharkhand | National Capital Territory | Uttar Pradesh | West Bengal | |