Several major highway and railway projects across India are progressing towards completion, including the Zojila Tunnel in the Himalayas, the Dhubri–Phulbari bridge across the Brahmaputra and new railway lines connecting Uttarakhand and Manipur.
Meanwhile, construction continues on major ring roads, highway corridors and railway projects intended to expand connectivity in different parts of the country.
According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) September 2026 infrastructure monitoring report, the Zojila Tunnel project on the Sonamarg–Kargil section of NH-01 has achieved 68.8% physical progress, while the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway line in Uttarakhand has reached 78%.
The Dhubri–Phulbari bridge connecting Assam and Meghalaya has achieved 80.71% physical progress, and the Jiribam–Imphal railway line in Manipur has achieved 79% physical progress.
The ministry’s 491st Flash Report covers 1,853 ongoing central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs 150 crore and above, spread across 17 central ministries and departments.
These projects have a combined revised estimated cost of Rs 37,55,803 crore, against an original estimated cost of Rs 34,33,827 crore.
Cumulative expenditure on the projects stands at Rs 17,73,062 crore, accounting for 47.21% of the revised cost. During September, 35 projects were commissioned and 83 were newly added to the monitoring portfolio.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has 974 ongoing projects, while the Ministry of Railways oversees 284 projects under the monitoring programme.
Road Transport Ministry Has 974 Projects Worth Rs 9.46 Lakh Crore
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has 974 ongoing infrastructure projects with a combined revised estimated cost of Rs 9,46,094 crore, against their original estimated cost of Rs 9,34,075 crore.
The aggregate cost has increased by Rs 12,019 crore, or approximately 1.29%, over the original estimates. Cumulative expenditure stands at Rs 4,93,224 crore, representing 52.13% of the revised project cost.
The ministry’s portfolio includes 373 mega projects, each with an original estimated cost of at least Rs 1,000 crore, accounting for Rs 6,36,884 crore in original investment.
The remaining 601 major projects, with individual original costs below Rs 1,000 crore, account for Rs 2,97,191 crore.
During September 2026, the ministry commissioned 22 infrastructure projects and added 16 projects to the monitoring portfolio.
The report identifies several major highway projects under implementation, including the Zojila Tunnel, Dhubri–Phulbari bridge, Guwahati Ring Road, Patna Ring Road bridge and the six-laning of NH-66 in Kerala.
Zojila Tunnel and Connecting Road: 68.8% Physical Progress
The Zojila Tunnel and connecting road project on the Sonamarg–Kargil section of NH-01 has achieved 68.8% physical progress.
The project includes an 18.475-km connecting road from the Z-Morh Tunnel to the Zojila Tunnel and a 14.15-km-long, two-lane, bidirectional single-tube tunnel across the Zojila Pass.
The project is being implemented under the Prime Minister’s Development Package and is intended to improve road connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh, particularly through the high-altitude Zojila Pass.
Its original and revised estimated costs stand at Rs 6,809 crore.
Cumulative expenditure has reached Rs 4,470 crore, accounting for approximately 65.6% of the estimated project cost.
Dhubri–Phulbari Bridge Across Brahmaputra Reaches 80.71%
The four-lane Dhubri–Phulbari bridge across the Brahmaputra has achieved 80.71% physical progress.
The bridge is being constructed between Dhubri on the northern bank in Assam and Phulbari on the southern bank in Meghalaya, as part of NH-127B.
The project includes the main bridge and its approaches and is being implemented with loan assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency under the third phase of Japan’s Official Development Assistance programme.
The project links Dhubri in Assam with Phulbari in Meghalaya across the Brahmaputra.
The project has an original and revised estimated cost of Rs 4,997 crore.
Cumulative expenditure stands at Rs 3,322 crore, representing approximately 66.5% of the estimated project cost.
Guwahati Ring Road: 1.3% Physical Progress
The Guwahati Ring Road project in Assam has achieved 1.3% physical progress.
The project has an original and revised estimated cost of Rs 5,729 crore, with cumulative expenditure reaching Rs 366 crore.
This represents approximately 6.4% of the estimated project cost.
The Guwahati Ring Road is among the large highway projects included in the ministry’s ongoing portfolio, with construction at an early stage as of September 2026.
Patna Ring Road Ganga Bridge: 22.05% Physical Progress
Construction of the six-lane bridge across the Ganga, forming part of the Patna Ring Road on NH-131G, has achieved 22.05% physical progress.
The project includes the bridge and its approaches, extending from kilometre 8.480 near Sherpur to kilometre 23.000 near Dighwara in Bihar.
The bridge is part of the road infrastructure being developed around Patna to improve connectivity across the Ganga.
Its revised estimated cost stands at Rs 3,352 crore, against an original estimate of Rs 6,292 crore.
The revised estimate is Rs 2,940 crore lower than the original cost.
Cumulative expenditure has reached Rs 951 crore, accounting for approximately 28.4% of the revised project cost.
NH-66 Ramanattukara–Valanchery Section Achieves 100% Physical Progress
The six-laning of the Ramanattukara Junction–Valanchery Bypass section of NH-66 in Kerala has achieved 100% physical progress.
The project forms part of the widening of the national highway corridor in Kerala, covering the section from Ramanattukara Junction to the beginning of the Valanchery Bypass.
Its original and revised estimated costs stand at Rs 4,919 crore.
Cumulative expenditure has reached Rs 3,764 crore, equivalent to approximately 76.5% of the estimated project cost.
Despite attaining 100% physical progress, the project remains in the list of ongoing infrastructure works for September. The summary does not specify its commissioning date.
Railway Ministry Has 284 Ongoing Projects Worth Rs 7.21 Lakh Crore
The Ministry of Railways has 284 ongoing infrastructure projects with a combined revised estimated cost of Rs 7,20,728 crore, against their original cost of Rs 5,90,414 crore.
The aggregate revised cost exceeds the original estimates by Rs 1,30,314 crore, representing an increase of approximately 22.07%.
Cumulative expenditure stands at Rs 3,62,316 crore, equivalent to 50.27% of the revised project cost.
The railway portfolio comprises 142 mega projects, each with an original estimated cost of at least Rs 1,000 crore, and 142 major projects with original estimates below that threshold.
The mega projects account for Rs 5,19,728 crore in original investment, while the major projects account for Rs 70,685 crore.
During September 2026, 57 railway projects were added to the monitoring portfolio. No railway projects were commissioned during the reporting month.
Among the major works covered in the ministry’s summary are the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway line, Jiribam–Imphal railway line, Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase III/A, Manmad–Indore new railway line and Bhanupalli–Bilaspur–Beri railway line.
Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Railway Line Reaches 78% Physical Progress
The 125.09-km Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway line in Uttarakhand has achieved 78% physical progress.
The railway project extends from Rishikesh towards Karnaprayag in the Garhwal Himalayas.
The project has an original and revised estimated cost of Rs 38,953 crore.
Cumulative expenditure has reached Rs 23,041 crore, representing approximately 59.2% of the estimated project cost.
The Rishikesh–Karnaprayag line is the largest railway project by original estimated cost among the five major ongoing railway works highlighted in the ministry’s September summary.
Jiribam–Imphal Railway Line Achieves 79% Physical Progress
The 110-km Jiribam–Imphal railway line in Manipur has achieved 79% physical progress.
The project is intended to extend railway connectivity from Jiribam to Imphal, linking the state capital with the railway network.
The original estimated cost of Rs 14,323 crore has increased to Rs 21,886 crore.
The revision represents an increase of Rs 7,563 crore, or approximately 52.8%, over the original estimate.
Cumulative expenditure has reached Rs 17,179 crore, accounting for approximately 78.5% of the revised project cost.
The line is among the major railway connectivity projects being implemented in the northeastern region.
Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase III/A: 27% Physical Progress
Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase III/A has achieved 27% physical progress.
The project forms part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project programme.
Its original and revised estimated costs stand at Rs 33,690 crore.
Cumulative expenditure has reached Rs 4,167 crore, equivalent to approximately 12.4% of the estimated project cost.
The project continues to feature among the major urban railway infrastructure works monitored by the Ministry of Railways.
Manmad–Indore Railway Line Records 5% Progress
The Manmad–Indore new railway line project, covering 309.43 km, has achieved 5% physical progress.
The project includes a new railway line between Manmad and New Dhule, together with the section between Nardana and Dr Ambedkar Nagar.
It is intended to provide new railway connectivity along the corridor linking parts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Its original and revised estimated costs stand at Rs 16,321 crore.
Cumulative expenditure has reached Rs 159 crore, equivalent to approximately 1% of the estimated cost.
The project remains at an early stage of implementation.
Bhanupalli–Bilaspur–Beri Railway Line Reaches 65%
The 63.1-km Bhanupalli–Bilaspur–Beri railway line has achieved 65% physical progress.
The project is being developed to extend rail connectivity towards Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh.
Its revised estimated cost stands at Rs 13,770 crore, against an original estimate of Rs 13,447 crore.
The revision represents an increase of Rs 323 crore, or approximately 2.4%.
Cumulative expenditure has reached Rs 6,945 crore, equivalent to approximately 50.4% of the revised project cost.
The project remains under implementation, with more than half of the reported physical work completed as of September 2026.
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