Every state in India is connected with each other by the National Highways. The National Highways Authority of India is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of National Highways in India. The National Highways Authority of India was established under the provisions of the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988 and the Authority came into operation in February 1995. The National Highways Authority of India is authorized to implement National Highways Development Project (NHDP) which is the largest ever highways project in India and aims to have world class roads with uninterrupted traffic flow. The National Highways remains a thrust area in the 11the Five Year Plan. The Task Force set up by the Planning Commission, to make recommendations on Transport policy matters has identified the ‘priorities for improvement of the stretches of National Highways entrusted with the Public Work Departments of the States and Union Territories, progress achieved under various phases of the National Highways Development Project, the programmes for future phases of NHDP including the fund requirements for the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012), the projected fund requirement for the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012) for improvement of the remaining National Highways stretches entrusted with Public Work Departments of States and Union Territories and with Border Roads Organisation (BRO), including improvement of about 7,000 km of new National Highways and provisions for road safety, training, etc. The National Highways Act 1956 has been enacted to provide for the declaration of certain highways to be national highways and for connected matters.
