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{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox road

|country= IND
{{Infobox road
|name= Golden Quadrilateral<br/>स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज
| Country= IND
|maint= [[National Highways Authority of India|NHAI]]
| Name= Golden Quadrilateral
|map= Golden Quadrilateral.svg
स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज
|map_notes= Highway map of India with the Golden Quadrilateral highlighted in solid blue colour
| Maint= [[National Highways Authority of India|NHAI]]
|length_km= 5846
| Map= Golden Quadrilateral.svg
|section1= [[Delhi]] – [[Kolkata]]
| Map_notes= Highway map of India with the Golden Quadrilateral highlighted In solid blue colour
|length_km1= 1453
| Length_km= 5846
| Section1= [[Delhi]] – [[Kolkata]]
|section2= [[Delhi]] – [[Mumbai]]
|length_km2= 1419
| Length_km1= 1453
| Section2= [[Delhi]] – [[Mumbai]]
|section3= [[Mumbai]] – [[Chennai]]
|length_km3= 1290
| Length_km2= 1419
| Section3= [[Mumbai]] – [[Chennai]]
|section4= [[Chennai]] – [[Kolkata]]
|length_km4= 1684
| Length_km3= 1290
|junction1= [[National Highway 19 (India)|NH 19]]
| Section4= [[Chennai]] – [[Kolkata]]
|junction2= [[National Highway 48 (India)|NH 48]]
| Length_km4= 1684
| Junction1= [[National Highway 19(India)|NH 19]]
|junction3= [[National Highway 48 (India)|NH 48]]
| Junction2= [[National Highway 48(India)|NH 48]]
|junction4= [[National Highway 16 (India)|NH 16]]
| Junction3= [[National Highway 48(India)|NH 48]]
| Junction4= [[National Highway 16(India)|NH 16]]
}}
}}
[[File:Rps20160709 141628.jpg|thumb|[[Vijayawada]]-[[Guntur]] Expressway section of NH-16]]
[[File:Rps20160709 141628.jpg|thumb|[[Vijayawada]]-[[Guntur]] Expressway section of NH-16]]
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[[File:Durgapur Xpressway.jpg|thumb|Kolkata-Delhi section of India's GQ highway]]
[[File:Durgapur Xpressway.jpg|thumb|Kolkata-Delhi section of India's GQ highway]]
[[File:Nh76.jpg|thumb|NH4: Chennai-Bengaluru section of India's GQ highway near Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu]]
[[File:Nh76.jpg|thumb|NH4: Chennai-Bengaluru section of India's GQ highway near Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu]]
The '''Golden Quadrilateral''' is a highway network connecting many of the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. It forms a [[quadrilateral]] connecting [[Chennai]], [[Kolkata]], [[Delhi]] and [[Mumbai]]. Other cities connected by this network are [[Ahmedabad]], [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]], [[Bhubaneswar]], [[Cuttack]], [[Jaipur]], [[Kanpur]], [[Pune]], [[Surat]], [[Vijayawada]], [[Ajmer]], [[Visakhapatnam|Vizag]], [[Bodhgaya]], [[Varanasi]], [[Agra]], [[Dhanbad]], [[Gandhinagar]], [[Udaipur]], [[Vadodara]].
The '''Golden Quadrilateral''' ('''GQ''') is a highway network connecting many of the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. It forms a [[quadrilateral]] connecting [[Chennai]] (south), [[Kolkata]] (east), [[Delhi]] (north) and [[Mumbai]] (west). Other cities connected by this network include [[Ahmedabad]], [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]], [[Bhubaneswar]], [[Cuttack]], [[Jaipur]], [[Kanpur]], [[Pune]], [[Surat]], [[Vijayawada]], [[Ajmer]], [[Visakhapatnam|Vizag]], [[Bodhgaya]], [[Varanasi]], [[Agra]], [[Dhanbad]], [[Gandhinagar]], [[Udaipur]], and [[Vadodara]].


It is the largest [[highway]] project in India and the fifth longest in the world, at 5,846&nbsp;km. Started by the NDA government led by Prime Minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]]<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-images-worlds-10-longest-highways/20140122.htm#5]</ref> it is the first phase of the [[National Highways Development Project]] (NHDP), and consists of {{convert|5846|km|mi|abbr=on}} four/six lane express highways, built at a cost of {{INRConvert|600|b}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhai.org/roadnetwork.htm |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-07-23 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414094555/http://www.nhai.org/roadnetwork.htm |archivedate=14 April 2015 |df=dmy }} Road network-Source-The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)</ref> The project was launched in 2001 by [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], and was completed in 2012.<ref>[http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/golden-quadrilateral-highway-network Golden Quadrilateral Highway Network]. Road Traffic Technology (2011–06–15). Retrieved on 2013–12–06.</ref>
At {{convert|5846|km}}, it is the largest [[highway]] project in India and the fifth longest in the world.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-images-worlds-10-longest-highways/20140122.htm#5]</ref> It is the first phase of the [[National Highways Development Project]] (NHDP), and consists of four- and six-lane express highways, built at a cost of {{INRConvert|600|b}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhai.org/roadnetwork.htm |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-07-23 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414094555/http://www.nhai.org/roadnetwork.htm |archivedate=14 April 2015 |df=dmy }} Road network-Source-The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)</ref> The project was planned by 1999, launched in 2001, and was completed in 2012.<ref>[http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/golden-quadrilateral-highway-network Golden Quadrilateral Highway Network]. Road Traffic Technology (2011-06-15). Retrieved on 2013-12-06.</ref>
The vast majority of system is not [[Limited-access road|access controlled]], although safety features such as guardrails, shoulders, and high-visibility signs are in use.


The Golden Quadrilateral project is managed by the [[National Highways Authority of India]] (NHAI) under the [[Government of India#The Union Ministries|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 but not funded by NHAI, and separate from [[National Highway 4 (India)|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.
The Golden Quadrilateral project is managed by the [[National Highways Authority of India]] (NHAI) under the [[Government of India#The Union Ministries|Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways]]. The vast majority of the system is not [[Limited-access road|access controlled]], although safety features such as guardrails, shoulders, and high-visibility signs are in use. The [[Mumbai–Pune Expressway]], the first [[controlled-access]] [[toll road]] to be built in India, is a part of the GQ Project but not funded by NHAI, and separate from [[National Highway 4 (India)|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.{{citation needed lead|date=September 2018}}
This project was conceptualised in 1999 and started in 2001. It was projected to connect four metropolitan cities of India: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The project consisted of constructing four- and six-lane express highways. Although the project was planned to be completed by 2006, due to delays like land acquisition, awarding contracts, zoning challenges, and funding problems, it was finally completed in 2012.
It is a network of highways that connect the four major metropolitan cities of the country in four directions – Delhi (North), Chennai (South), Kolkata (East) and Mumbai (West) – thereby forming a quadrilateral, and hence the name Golden Quadrilateral.

The planning for the project was completed in 1999 but the construction work officially started in 2001. Though it was estimated to be completed by 2006, it actually became operational in January 2012. The Golden Quadrilateral project included construction of new express highways, including renovation and extension of the existing highways to four or six lanes.

The four sections of the Golden Quadrilateral:

Section I: This section covers a distance of 1,454&nbsp;km on national highway 2 (NH2) from Delhi to Kolkata and passes through Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, with its major cities being Delhi, Mathura, Faridabad, Agra, Allahabad, Firozabad, Kanpur and Varanasi.

Section II: Stretching about 1,684&nbsp;km, this section covers NH6 (Kolkata to Chennai), NH60 (Kharagpur to Balasore) and NH5 (Balasore to Chennai) and passes through West Bengal, Orissa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

Section III: Total stretch of 1,290&nbsp;km covering parts of NH4 (Mumbai to Bangalore), NH7 (Bangalore to Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu) and NH46 (Krishnagiri to near Chennai). It passes through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Section IV: Covering parts of NH8 (Delhi to Kishangarh), NH79 A (Ajmer bypass), NH79 (Nasirabad to Chittaurgarh) and NH76 (Chittaurgarh to Udaipur), the total length of section IV is 1,419&nbsp;km. It passes through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and New Delhi, connecting Delhi, Ajmer, Udaipur, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Mumbai.

Overall, the Golden Quadrilateral passes through 13 states of India and constitutes only the national highways, and not state highways or rural-urban roadways.


== History and costs ==
== History and costs ==


The Golden Quadrilateral Project (GQ Project) was intended to establish faster transport networks between major cities and ports, provide smaller towns better access to markets, reduce agricultural spoilage in transport, drive economic growth, and promote truck transport.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
Prime Minister [[Atal Behari Vajpayee]] laid the foundation stone for the project on 6 January 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=Building India's National Pride: The Golden Quadrilateral| url=http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2003/fapr2003/f020420031.html}}</ref>


Prime Minister [[Atal Behari Vajpayee]] laid the foundation stone for the project on 6 January 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=Building India's National Pride: The Golden Quadrilateral| url=http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2003/fapr2003/f020420031.html}}</ref> It was planned to be completed by 2006, but there were delays due to land acquisition constraints and disputes with contractors which had to be renegotiated.<ref name="financialexpress">{{cite web|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=100459|title=Golden Quadrilateral still has miles to go|publisher=Financial Express}}</ref><ref name="forbes_india">{{cite web|url=http://business.in.com/article/briefing/crossing-the-chasm/4202/1|author=R. N. Bhaskar|publisher=Forbes India|title=Crossing the chasm}}</ref> In February 2006, a {{convert|600|m|adj=on}} stretch of the highway connecting [[Kolkata]] to [[Chennai]] sank into the ground, opening up {{convert|10|m|adj=on}} gorges near [[Bally (Howrah)|Bally]], [[West Bengal]].<ref name="kolkatasink">[http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=87604] GQ: Howrah highway stretch caves in-Source-Indian Express]</ref> This stretch had been completed a year back by a Malaysian multinational firm, selected after global tendering. {{Citation needed|date=June 2010}}{{relevance inline|date=September 2018}}
In January 2012, India announced the four-lane GQ highway network as complete.<ref>{{cite web|title=Govt declares Golden Quadrilateral complete|publisher=The Indian Express|date=7 January 2012|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Govt-declares-Golden-Quadrilateral-complete/896873/}}</ref><ref name="nhai_progress">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhai.org/gqmain_english.htm|title=National Highways Development Project Map|publisher=National Highways Institute of India}}</ref>


India's government had initially estimated that the Golden Quadrilateral project would cost {{INRConvert|600|b}} at 1999 prices. However, the highway has been built under-budget. As of August 2011, the cost incurred by the Indian government was about half of the initial estimate, at {{INRConvert|308.58|b}}. The eight contracts in progress, as of August 2011, were worth {{INRConvert|16.34|b}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contractors take the sheen off Golden Quadrilateral |publisher=The Financial Express |date=3 August 2011 |url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/contractors-take-the-sheen-off-golden-quadrilateral/826471/0 |deadurl=yes |df=dmy |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20120731160327/http://www.financialexpress.com/news/contractors-take-the-sheen-off-golden-quadrilateral/826471/0 |archivedate=31 July 2012 }}</ref>
India's government had initially estimated that the Golden Quadrilateral project would cost {{INRConvert|600|b}} at 1999 prices. However, the highway was built under-budget. As of August 2011, the cost incurred by the Indian government was about half of the initial estimate, at {{INRConvert|308.58|b}}. The eight contracts in progress, as of August 2011, were worth {{INRConvert|16.34|b}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contractors take the sheen off Golden Quadrilateral |publisher=The Financial Express |date=3 August 2011 |url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/contractors-take-the-sheen-off-golden-quadrilateral/826471/0 |deadurl=yes |df=dmy |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20120731160327/http://www.financialexpress.com/news/contractors-take-the-sheen-off-golden-quadrilateral/826471/0 |archivedate=31 July 2012 }}</ref>{{update inline|date=September 2018}}


In September 2009, it was announced that the existing four-laned highways would be converted into six-lane highways.<ref name="nh_expansion">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/09/21/india-ambassador-shankar-business-emerging-markets-economy.html|title=Ambassador: Indian Economy Will Grow|author=Megha Bahree|publisher=Forbes|date=21 September 2009}}</ref> The expansion project was reported at various stages to be behind schedule, mainly due to land acquisition constraints and disputes with contractors which had to be re-negotiated.<ref name="financialexpress">{{cite web|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=100459|title=Golden Quadrilateral still has miles to go|publisher=Financial Express}}</ref><ref name="forbes_india">{{cite web|url=http://business.in.com/article/briefing/crossing-the-chasm/4202/1|author=R. N. Bhaskar|publisher=Forbes India|title=Crossing the chasm}}</ref>
In January 2012, India announced the four-lane GQ highway network as complete.<ref>{{cite web|title=Govt declares Golden Quadrilateral complete|publisher=The Indian Express|date=7 January 2012|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Govt-declares-Golden-Quadrilateral-complete/896873/}}</ref><ref name="nhai_progress">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhai.org/gqmain_english.htm|title=National Highways Development Project Map|publisher=National Highways Institute of India}}</ref> In September 2009, it was announced that the existing four-laned highways would be converted into six-lane highways.<ref name="nh_expansion">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/09/21/india-ambassador-shankar-business-emerging-markets-economy.html|title=Ambassador: Indian Economy Will Grow|author=Megha Bahree|publisher=Forbes|date=21 September 2009}}</ref> Sections of [[National Highway 2 (India)|NH 2]], [[National Highway 5 (India)|NH 5]] and [[National Highway 8 (India)|NH 8]] were prioritized for widening to six lanes under DBFO (Design, Build, Finance, Operate) pattern and more sections would be six-laned in the future. On NH 8 six-lane work was completed from [[Vadodara]] to [[Surat]].{{when|date=September 2018}}{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}


{| class = "wikitable"
Sections of [[National Highway 2 (India)|NH 2]], [[National Highway 5 (India)|NH 5]] and [[National Highway 8 (India)|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. On NH 8 six-lane work is completed from [[Vadodara]] to [[Surat]].
|-

!{{abbr|No.|number}} || Segment || Length || Completed || Source
The [[Hosur]]-[[Krishnagiri]] stretch of the [[Bengaluru]]-[[Chennai]] stretch is being expanded from four lanes to six lanes by [[Reliance Infrastructure]].<ref name="hktrpl4o6">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/21/stories/2010052152280400.htm|title=Hosur-Krishnagiri road project goes to R-Infra|date=21 May 2010|publisher=[[The Hindu]]|page=1|accessdate=31 March 2012|location=New Delhi}}</ref>
|-

| 1. || Delhi–Kolkata || {{convert|1453|km|mi|abbr=on}} || 31 August 2011 || [http://www.nhai.org/NH2_Delhi_Kolkata_english.htm]
== Economic benefits ==
|-

| 2. || Chennai–Mumbai || {{convert|1290|km|mi|abbr=on}} || 31 August 2011 || [http://www.nhai.org/NH4_Mumbai_Chennai_english.htm]
The projected economic benefits of the Golden Quadrilateral project are -
|-
| 3. || Kolkata–Chennai || {{convert|1684|km|mi|abbr=on}} || 31 May 2013 || [http://www.nhai.org/NH5_Kolkata_chennai_english.htm]
|-
| 4. || Mumbai–Delhi || {{convert|1419|km|mi|abbr=on}} || 31 August 2011 || [http://www.nhai.org/NH8_Delhi_Mumbai_english.htm]
|-
| || '''Total''' || '''{{convert|5846|km|mi|abbr=on}}''' || 31 May 2013 || [http://www.nhai.org/goldenquadrilateral.asp]
|}


<ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Govt-declares-Golden-Quadrilateral-complete/896873/ Govt. of India declares "Golden Quadrilateral" complete - Jan 7th 2012]</ref><ref>[http://www.nhai.org/goldenquadrilateral.asp NHAI - Current status]</ref>
# Establishing faster transport networks between major cities and ports.
# Providing an impetus to smoother movement of products and people within India.
# Enabling industrial and job development in smaller towns through access to markets.
# Providing opportunities for farmers, through better transportation of produce from the agricultural hinterland to major cities and [[port]]s for [[export]], through lesser wastage and spoils.
# Driving economic growth directly, through construction as well as through indirect demand for cement, steel and other construction materials.
# Giving an impetus to Truck transport throughout India.


== Route ==
== Route ==


Only [[National Highway (India)|National Highways]] are used in the Golden Quadrilateral. The four legs use the following National Highways (New Numbering System):
Only [[National Highway (India)|National Highways]] are used in the Golden Quadrilateral. The four legs use the following National Highways (new numbering system):


* Delhi – Kolkata: [[National Highway 19 (India)|NH 19]]
* Delhi–Kolkata: [[National Highway 19 (India)|NH 19]]
* Delhi – Mumbai - Chennai: [[National Highway 48 (India)|NH 48]]
* Delhi–Mumbai–Chennai: [[National Highway 48 (India)|NH 48]]
* Kolkata – Chennai: [[National Highway 16 (India)|NH 16]]
* Kolkata–Chennai: [[National Highway 16 (India)|NH 16]]


{{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=500|frame-height=500|zoom=4|frame-lat=22|frame-long=81|frame-align=center
{{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=500|frame-height=500|zoom=4|frame-lat=22|frame-long=81|frame-align=center
| Type=line |id=Q28178832 | stroke-width=3|title=National Highway 48
| type=line |id=Q28178832 | stroke-width=3|title=National Highway 48
| Type2=line |id2=Q25209307 |stroke-width2=3|title2=National Highway 19
| type2=line |id2=Q25209307 |stroke-width2=3|title2=National Highway 19
| Type3=line |id3=Q643140 |stroke-width3=3|title3=National Highway 16
| type3=line |id3=Q643140 |stroke-width3=3|title3=National Highway 16
}}
}}


== Important cities connected by Golden Quadrilateral highway ==
== Connected cities ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Delhi–Kolkata
! Delhi – Kolkata
! Kolkata–Chennai
! Kolkata – Chennai
! Chennai–Mumbai
! Chennai – Mumbai
! Mumbai–Delhi
! Mumbai – Delhi
|-
|-
| Valign=top |
| valign=top |


* [[Delhi]]
* [[Delhi]]
Line 131: Line 113:
* [[Kolkata]]
* [[Kolkata]]


| Valign=top |
| valign=top |


* [[Kolkata]]
* [[Kolkata]]
Line 146: Line 128:
* [[Chennai]]
* [[Chennai]]


| Valign=top |
| valign=top |


* [[Chennai]]
* [[Chennai]]
Line 175: Line 157:
* [[Mumbai]]
* [[Mumbai]]


| Valign=top |
| valign=top |


* [[Mumbai]]
* [[Mumbai]]
Line 198: Line 180:


|}
|}

== Current status ==

{| class = "wikitable"
|-
!No. || Segment || Length Completed || Total Length || Percent Completed (%) || As of (date) || Source
|-
| 1. || Delhi-Kolkata || {{convert|1453|km|mi|abbr=on}} || {{convert|1453|km|mi|abbr=on}} || 100 || 31 August 2011 || [http://www.nhai.org/NH2_Delhi_Kolkata_english.htm]
|-
| 2. || Chennai-Mumbai || {{convert|1290|km|mi|abbr=on}} || {{convert|1290|km|mi|abbr=on}} || 100 || 31 August 2011 || [http://www.nhai.org/NH4_Mumbai_Chennai_english.htm]
|-
| 3. || Kolkata-Chennai || {{convert|1684|km|mi|abbr=on}} || {{convert|1684|km|mi|abbr=on}} || 100 || 31 May 2013 || [http://www.nhai.org/NH5_Kolkata_chennai_english.htm]
|-
| 4. || Mumbai-Delhi || {{convert|1419|km|mi|abbr=on}} || {{convert|1419|km|mi|abbr=on}} || 100 || 31 August 2011 || [http://www.nhai.org/NH8_Delhi_Mumbai_english.htm]
|-
| || '''Total''' || '''{{convert|5846|km|mi|abbr=on}}''' || '''{{convert|5846|km|mi|abbr=on}}''' || '''100''' || 31 May 2013 || [http://www.nhai.org/goldenquadrilateral.asp]
|}

[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Govt-declares-Golden-Quadrilateral-complete/896873/ Govt. of India declares "Golden Quadrilateral" complete - Jan 7th 2012]

[http://www.nhai.org/goldenquadrilateral.asp NHAI - Current status]


== Length in each state ==
== Length in each state ==
Line 242: Line 203:
{{Main|Satyendra Dubey}}
{{Main|Satyendra Dubey}}


In August 2003, [[Jharkhand]]-based project director [[Satyendra Dubey]], in a letter to the Prime Minister, outlined a list of malafide actions in a segment of a highway in [[Bihar]]. Dubey's claims included that big contractors had inside information from NHAI officials,<ref name="rediff2003">[http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/dec/05bihar1.htm] Bihar govt wakes up to IITian's murder-Source-Rediff News</ref> that the contractors for this stretch were not executing the project themselves (as stipulated in the contract) but subcontracting the work to small builders who lacked technical expertise<ref name="rediff2003" /> and that no follow-up was performed after awarding advances.<ref name="rediff2003" /> Dubey's name was leaked by the PMO to the NHAI,<ref name="rediff2003" /> and he was transferred against his wishes to [[Gaya, India|Gaya]], [[Bihar]], where he was murdered on 27 November.<ref name="rediff2003" />
In August 2003, [[Jharkhand]]-based project director [[Satyendra Dubey]], in a letter to the prime minister, outlined a list of [[bad faith]] (''mala fide'') actions in a segment of a highway in [[Bihar]]. Dubey's claims included that big contractors had inside information from NHAI officials,<ref name="rediff2003">[http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/dec/05bihar1.htm] Bihar govt wakes up to IITian's murder-Source-Rediff News</ref> that the contractors for this stretch were not executing the project themselves (as stipulated in the contract) but had subcontracting the work to small builders who lacked technical expertise,<ref name="rediff2003" /> and that no follow-up was performed after awarding advances.<ref name="rediff2003" /> Dubey's name was leaked by the prime minister's office to the NHAI,<ref name="rediff2003" /> and he was transferred against his wishes to [[Gaya, India|Gaya]], [[Bihar]], where he was murdered on 27 November.<ref name="rediff2003" />


The NHAI eventually admitted that Dubey's charges were substantiated, and implemented "radical reforms" in the selection and contract procedures.<ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/full_story.php?content_id=78880] NHAI report to CBI proves Dubey right, contract rules being rewritten-Source-Indian Express</ref> After a lengthy [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] investigation, Mantu Kumar and three accomplices were arrested and charged with murder. Mantu escaped from court on 19 September 2005,<ref name="rediff2005">[http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/13dubey.htm] Whistleblower in the 2004 National Highway Authority of India case escaped from police custody on Tuesday in Patna-Source-Rediff News</ref> but was recaptured a month later. In 2010, Mantu and two others were convicted of murder and other offenses and sentenced to life in prison.<ref>[http://news.oneindia.in/2010/03/27/satyendranath-dubey-killers-get-life-imprisonment.html] Satyendranath Dubey killers get life imprisonment-Source-Oneindia. com</ref>
The NHAI eventually admitted that Dubey's allegations were substantiated, and implemented "radical reforms" in the selection and contract procedures.<ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/full_story.php?content_id=78880] NHAI report to CBI proves Dubey right, contract rules being rewritten-Source-Indian Express</ref> After considerable [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] scrutiny, Mantu Kumar and three accomplices were arrested and charged with murder. Mantu escaped from court on 19 September 2005,<ref name="rediff2005">[http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/13dubey.htm] Whistleblower in the 2004 National Highway Authority of India case escaped from police custody on Tuesday in Patna-Source-Rediff News</ref> but was recaptured a month later. In 2010, Mantu and two others were convicted of murder and other offenses and sentenced to life in prison.<ref>[http://news.oneindia.in/2010/03/27/satyendranath-dubey-killers-get-life-imprisonment.html] Satyendranath Dubey killers get life imprisonment-Source-Oneindia. com</ref>

== Progress ==

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 (Howrah)|Bally]], [[West Bengal]].<ref name="kolkatasink">[http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=87604] GQ: Howrah highway stretch caves in-Source-Indian Express]</ref> This stretch had been completed a year back by a Malaysian multinational firm, selected after global tendering. {{Citation needed|date=June 2010}}


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 271: Line 228:
* [http://www.nhai.org/ Official website of the National Highways Authority of India]
* [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.org/gqmain_english.htm Map of GQ progress on the NHAI website]
* [http://www.morth.nic.in Ministry of Road Transport]

<!-- This domain has expired and link is dead * [http://www.nhai-ris.org/ NHAI Road Information System] -->
<!-- This domain has expired and link is dead * [http://www.nhai-ris.org/ NHAI Road Information System] -->

* [http://www.morth.nic.in Ministry of Road Transport]


{{Indian Highways Network}}
{{Indian Highways Network}}

Revision as of 20:24, 15 September 2018

Golden Quadrilateral
स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज
Highway map of India with the Golden Quadrilateral highlighted in solid blue colour
Route information
Maintained by NHAI
Length5,846 km (3,633 mi)
Delhi – Kolkata
Length1,453 km (903 mi)
Major intersectionsNH 19
Delhi – Mumbai
Length1,419 km (882 mi)
Major intersectionsNH 48
Mumbai – Chennai
Length1,290 km (800 mi)
Major intersectionsNH 48
Chennai – Kolkata
Length1,684 km (1,046 mi)
Major intersectionsNH 16
Location
CountryIndia
Highway system
Vijayawada-Guntur Expressway section of NH-16
A section of the Golden Quadrilateral highway from Chennai – Mumbai phase
NH46: Bengaluru-Chennai section of India's 4-lane Golden Quadrilateral highway
NH 16 another section of Golden Quadrilateral highway on the Kolkata - Chennai section
Kolkata-Delhi section of India's GQ highway
NH4: Chennai-Bengaluru section of India's GQ highway near Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu

The Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) is a highway network connecting many of the major industrial, agricultural and cultural centres of India. It forms a quadrilateral connecting Chennai (south), Kolkata (east), Delhi (north) and Mumbai (west). Other cities connected by this network include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jaipur, Kanpur, Pune, Surat, Vijayawada, Ajmer, Vizag, Bodhgaya, Varanasi, Agra, Dhanbad, Gandhinagar, Udaipur, and Vadodara.

At 5,846 kilometres (3,633 mi), it is the largest highway project in India and the fifth longest in the world.[1] It is the first phase of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), and consists of four- and six-lane express highways, built at a cost of ₹600 billion (US$7.2 billion).[2] The project was planned by 1999, launched in 2001, and was completed in 2012.[3]

The Golden Quadrilateral project is managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways. The vast majority of the system is not access controlled, although safety features such as guardrails, shoulders, and high-visibility signs are in use. The Mumbai–Pune Expressway, the first controlled-access toll road to be built in India, is a part of the GQ Project but 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.[not verified in body]

History and costs

The Golden Quadrilateral Project (GQ Project) was intended to establish faster transport networks between major cities and ports, provide smaller towns better access to markets, reduce agricultural spoilage in transport, drive economic growth, and promote truck transport.[citation needed]

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee laid the foundation stone for the project on 6 January 1999.[4] It was planned to be completed by 2006, but there were delays due to land acquisition constraints and disputes with contractors which had to be renegotiated.[5][6] In February 2006, a 600-metre (2,000 ft) stretch of the highway connecting Kolkata to Chennai sank into the ground, opening up 10-metre (33 ft) gorges near Bally, West Bengal.[7] This stretch had been completed a year back by a Malaysian multinational firm, selected after global tendering. [citation needed][relevant?]

India's government had initially estimated that the Golden Quadrilateral project would cost ₹600 billion (US$7.2 billion) at 1999 prices. However, the highway was built under-budget. As of August 2011, the cost incurred by the Indian government was about half of the initial estimate, at ₹308.58 billion (US$3.7 billion). The eight contracts in progress, as of August 2011, were worth ₹16.34 billion (US$200 million).[8][needs update]

In January 2012, India announced the four-lane GQ highway network as complete.[9][10] In September 2009, it was announced that the existing four-laned highways would be converted into six-lane highways.[11] Sections of NH 2, NH 5 and NH 8 were prioritized for widening to six lanes under DBFO (Design, Build, Finance, Operate) pattern and more sections would be six-laned in the future. On NH 8 six-lane work was completed from Vadodara to Surat.[when?][citation needed]

No. Segment Length Completed Source
1. Delhi–Kolkata 1,453 km (903 mi) 31 August 2011 [7]
2. Chennai–Mumbai 1,290 km (800 mi) 31 August 2011 [8]
3. Kolkata–Chennai 1,684 km (1,046 mi) 31 May 2013 [9]
4. Mumbai–Delhi 1,419 km (882 mi) 31 August 2011 [10]
Total 5,846 km (3,633 mi) 31 May 2013 [11]

[12][13]

Route

Only National Highways are used in the Golden Quadrilateral. The four legs use the following National Highways (new numbering system):

  • Delhi–Kolkata: NH 19
  • Delhi–Mumbai–Chennai: NH 48
  • Kolkata–Chennai: NH 16

Map

Connected cities

Delhi–Kolkata Kolkata–Chennai Chennai–Mumbai Mumbai–Delhi

Length in each state

The completed Golden Quadrilateral passes through 13 states:

Corruption allegations

Main article: Satyendra Dubey

In August 2003, Jharkhand-based project director Satyendra Dubey, in a letter to the prime minister, outlined a list of bad faith (mala fide) actions in a segment of a highway in Bihar. Dubey's claims included that big contractors had inside information from NHAI officials,[14] that the contractors for this stretch were not executing the project themselves (as stipulated in the contract) but had subcontracting the work to small builders who lacked technical expertise,[14] and that no follow-up was performed after awarding advances.[14] Dubey's name was leaked by the prime minister's office to the NHAI,[14] and he was transferred against his wishes to Gaya, Bihar, where he was murdered on 27 November.[14]

The NHAI eventually admitted that Dubey's allegations were substantiated, and implemented "radical reforms" in the selection and contract procedures.[15] After considerable Central Bureau of Investigation scrutiny, Mantu Kumar and three accomplices were arrested and charged with murder. Mantu escaped from court on 19 September 2005,[16] but was recaptured a month later. In 2010, Mantu and two others were convicted of murder and other offenses and sentenced to life in prison.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 2013-07-23. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Road network-Source-The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
  3. ^ Golden Quadrilateral Highway Network. Road Traffic Technology (2011-06-15). Retrieved on 2013-12-06.
  4. ^ "Building India's National Pride: The Golden Quadrilateral".
  5. ^ "Golden Quadrilateral still has miles to go". Financial Express.
  6. ^ R. N. Bhaskar. "Crossing the chasm". Forbes India.
  7. ^ [2] GQ: Howrah highway stretch caves in-Source-Indian Express]
  8. ^ "Contractors take the sheen off Golden Quadrilateral". The Financial Express. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Govt declares Golden Quadrilateral complete". The Indian Express. 7 January 2012.
  10. ^ "National Highways Development Project Map". National Highways Institute of India.
  11. ^ Megha Bahree (21 September 2009). "Ambassador: Indian Economy Will Grow". Forbes.
  12. ^ Govt. of India declares "Golden Quadrilateral" complete - Jan 7th 2012
  13. ^ NHAI - Current status
  14. ^ a b c d e [3] Bihar govt wakes up to IITian's murder-Source-Rediff News
  15. ^ [4] NHAI report to CBI proves Dubey right, contract rules being rewritten-Source-Indian Express
  16. ^ [5] Whistleblower in the 2004 National Highway Authority of India case escaped from police custody on Tuesday in Patna-Source-Rediff News
  17. ^ [6] Satyendranath Dubey killers get life imprisonment-Source-Oneindia. com
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