Building India - The Golden Quadrilateral

The Golden Quadrilateral is a highway network connecting India's four
largest metropolises: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
It also connects Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Surat. It’s the largest 
highway project in India, which was initiated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
It’s the first phase of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP),
and aims at building 5,846 km of four/six lane express highways.

1. On a Saturday evening Mr. Khanna was reminiscing his younger days while his eyes
were glued to a bike show on television. Although he was enjoying the show
with his son, Rohan, he had quit biking. Rather his old age made him quit.

2. You know Rohan, when I was
your age, I used to go racing
with my friends.
Really dad?!? You
never told me!
In fact I almost lived on the
roads. There wasn’t a single
highway, where my bike
and I hadn’t travelled

3. Wow! That’s like the whole
country. How long did it take?
From Mumbai to Chennai, from Kolkata
to Delhi, we had cruised on them all.

4. Longer than what we planned. The bad roads came up with too many
obstacles. At times we had to stop riding it and start walking with it.

5. Sometimes I wish, I could
go back in time. Just to sit
on my bike and cruise on
those roads. One last time.
Don’t worry
dad, I will fulfil
this dream of
yours. I’ll take
you out for
another ride.
Rohan wasted no time. He logged on to the net and started searching for
various road maps. And that’s when he chanced upon the Golden Quadrilateral

6. Look dad, our government has already fulfilled your wish. No bad road, just
smooth highways, all we have to do is, take the Golden Quadrilateral.

7. The Golden Quadrilateral is a highway network connecting India's four
largest metropolises: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
It also connects Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Surat. It’s the largest 
highway project in India, which was initiated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
It’s the first phase of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP),
and aims at building 5,846 km of four/six lane express highways.

8. Mr. Khanna couldn’t believe it. Next day he set out for a ride with Rohan.
This is like a dream
come true. This is way
better than the ones I
rode on.
Doesn’t this feel like
heaven?
It does son.
It does.

9. Thanks for this
ride son!
“Thanks to our government, today I can see my father looking pleased.
Kudos to the government for creating The Golden Quadrilateral,”
thought a very happy son, Rohan.

10. •The vast majority of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) is not access controlled,
although safety features such as guardrails, shoulders, and high-visibility signs are
used.
•As of 31
st
October 2010, 5,806 kms (3,608 mi) has been completed and work on the
remaining 40 kms is under progress.
•In September 2009, it was announced that the existing four-lane highways would
be converted into six-lane highways.
•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, and separate from the
main highway.
•Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) has been one of the major
contributors to the infrastructural development activity in the GQ project.

11. •Only National Highways are used in the Golden Quadrilateral. The four legs use the
following National Highways:
•Delhi – Kolkata: NH 2
•Delhi – Mumbai: NH 8 (Delhi – Kishangarh), NH 79A (Ajmer bypass), NH 79
(Nasirabad – Chittaurgarh), NH 76 (Chittaurgarh – Udaipur), NH 8 (Udaipur –
Mumbai)
•Mumbai – Chennai: NH 4 (Mumbai – Bangalore), NH 7 (Bangalore – Krishnagiri), NH
46 (Krishnagiri – Ranipet), NH 4 (Ranipet – Chennai)
•Kolkata – Chennai: NH 6 (Kolkata – Kharagpur), NH 60 (Kharagpur – Balasore), NH
5 (Balasore – Chennai)

12. Friday 7:30 pm & Saturday 7:00 pm