Factors Delaying Road and Bridge Construction in Uttarakhand and India

Road and bridge construction projects in India, including in Uttarakhand, face a multitude of delays due to environmental, logistical, regulatory, and human-related factors. These issues are exacerbated in hilly terrains like Uttarakhand, where geographical challenges intersect with supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and restrictions on vehicle and personnel entry. Below, I detail these factors with evidences from studies, reports, and recent developments, focusing on supply of materials, entry of vehicles and people, and other key contributors. The analysis draws from empirical research on highway projects, government reports, and ongoing events up to 2025.

General Factors Delaying Construction Across India

Highway and bridge projects in India often experience delays due to a combination of execution constraints, operational risks, stakeholder issues, and design flaws. A 2022 empirical study analyzing 185 highway projects identified several critical factors through literature reviews, Right to Information (RTI) data, and surveys of project managers. Key delays stem from:

• Supply Chain and Material Issues: Logistic failures, such as delays in transporting raw materials (e.g., aggregates, cement, and steel), are a major bottleneck, often leading to cost overruns and timeline extensions. Unpredictable prices of raw materials further compound this, as fluctuations disrupt budgeting and procurement. Supplier insolvency during construction phases can halt progress entirely, especially in remote areas where alternative suppliers are scarce. 52 Additionally, off-site impacts from material sourcing—such as quarries, hot mix plants, and stone crushers—contribute to environmental and logistical delays, requiring mitigation measures like controlled blasting and dust suppression, which slow down operations. 16 21 A 2021 NITI Aayog report on freight transformation highlighted how poor road conditions and vehicle maintenance issues exacerbate supply delays, with trucks facing breakdowns and inefficient routing. 25
• Labor and Machinery Shortages: Seasonal shortages of laborers, particularly during monsoons or harvest seasons, lead to workforce gaps, delaying on-site activities like concreting and earthwork. 52 Damage or breakdown of equipment and tools (e.g., excavators, cranes) is another frequent issue, often due to inadequate maintenance or rugged terrains, resulting in downtime of days or weeks. 52 The same study noted that work not conforming to quality standards—often linked to unskilled labor or faulty machinery—requires rework, adding 10-20% to project timelines on average.
• Entry Restrictions for Vehicles and People: Regulatory hurdles, such as permit requirements for heavy vehicles carrying materials or machinery, cause delays at state borders or checkpoints. During non-emergency periods, environmental clearances and toll/inspection delays further obstruct entry. A 2023 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Bharatmala projects pointed to bureaucratic delays in approvals as a systemic issue, affecting the influx of labor and equipment. 9 Political and stakeholder constraints, including land acquisition disputes, also indirectly restrict site access for workers and vehicles.
• Other Factors: Environmental regulations (e.g., from the Indian Roads Congress codes) mandate considerations like minimizing grades and energy consumption, which can prolong design and execution phases. 18 19 The 2024-25 MoRTH Annual Report notes that while construction pace has increased, material innovation (e.g., waste plastics, cold mix) adoption is slow due to testing delays. 22 45

Evidence from the 2022 ResearchGate study shows these factors collectively cause an average delay of 20-30% in project timelines, with supply and labor issues accounting for over 40% of variances in performance. 17 52

Specific Factors in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand’s Himalayan terrain amplifies delays, with natural disasters and ecological sensitivities playing a larger role. Recent data from 2023-2025 highlights:

• Environmental and Geographical Challenges: Physical factors like changes in precipitation, reduced snowmelt, slope instability, and tectonic disruptions cause frequent landslides and erosion, delaying bridge and road works. Anthropogenic activities, such as unchecked road cutting and deforestation, worsen these, leading to potholes and structural failures. 48 For instance, the 2023 Yamuna floods in nearby regions delayed bridge projects by months due to erosion and exposed dams, with similar risks in Uttarakhand’s rivers. 47 50 The Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) reports emphasize minimizing impacts from material sourcing in hilly areas, where quarry access is limited by terrain. 16 21
• Supply and Entry Issues: Vehicle entry into the state is restricted by narrow roads, weight limits on bridges, and seasonal closures (e.g., during monsoons or winters), delaying material transport. Labor migration from plains states faces entry barriers due to health checks or permits. A 2025 SANDRP report on hydro projects in neighboring Himachal (applicable to Uttarakhand) notes erosion delaying bridge construction, with no progress on mitigation like new bridges costing Rs 120 crore. 50
• Recent Evidence (2023-2025): Delays in 2023-2024 were linked to post-flood reconstructions, with projects like RUBs (Road Under Bridges) facing material shortages. 19 In 2025, ongoing issues include tectonic activity disrupting alignments, as per UPSC insights. 48

These factors have led to average delays of 6-12 months in Uttarakhand projects, per UEAP assessments. 16

COVID-19 Specific Factors

The pandemic (2020-2022) severely impacted construction through nationwide lockdowns, restricting movement of labor, vehicles, and machinery. This disrupted supply chains, with migrant workers unable to enter sites, and material transport halted at borders. An ILO report estimated labor supply shocks reduced capacity by 20-30%, while restrictions on inter-state travel delayed machinery imports. 33 38 In Uttarakhand, entry bans for tourists and non-essential personnel extended to laborers, worsening shortages. 55

Notifications and Circulars from MORTH and NHAI During COVID-19 to Relax Conditions for Contractors

To mitigate pandemic impacts, MORTH and NHAI issued relief measures under Atmanirbhar Bharat, treating COVID-19 as force majeure. These included extensions of time (EOT), relaxed payment schedules, and waivers to support contractors. Key ones:

• MORTH Circular dated May 18, 2020 (No. COVID-19/RoadMap/JS(H)/2020): Relaxed Schedule-H/G in contracts for monthly payments instead of milestones; EOT of 3-6 months based on site conditions; force majeure invocation for delays; retention money release up to 50%; and direct payments to sub-contractors. 7 10
• MORTH Relief Extension dated August 3, 2021: Extended relaxations till March 31, 2022, including Schedule-H/G relief and liquidity support via reduced performance security. 0 2
• MORTH Amendment dated October 11, 2024: Post-COVID, amended Schedule-H in EPC contracts for ongoing relief, as per 2024 Year-End Review. 8
• NHAI Circular No. 8.3.33 dated May 26, 2020: Aligned with MORTH, relaxed conditions for developers, including EOT and toll suspensions treated as force majeure. 6 14
• NHAI Policy Circular No. 6.33 dated September 2, 2022: Mandated bill submissions amid COVID guidelines, with relaxations for payments to prevent spread while ensuring contractor liquidity. 13

These were extended multiple times (e.g., till 2024 in some cases) to boost recovery, as per CAG reports. 9 Full lists available on MORTH site. 1 5

Circulars and Notifications Obstructing Movement of People, Labour, and Machinery

Lockdowns and containment orders directly obstructed movement, treating non-essential travel as violations. Key national and Uttarakhand-specific:

• MHA Order No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A) dated March 29, 2020: Restricted migrant laborers’ movement, mandating shelter-in-place and prohibiting inter-state travel to curb spread, affecting construction labor influx. 36
• National Lockdown Guidelines dated March 25, 2020 (Extended to May 3, 2020): Prohibited all non-essential movement, suspending public transport, factories, and construction (except essentials), halting labor and machinery entry. 55 54
• MHA Containment Measures dated February 26, 2021 (Extended to April 31, 2021): Directed states to enforce zones restricting movement, including vehicle checks at borders. 54
• Uttarakhand Order dated March 22, 2020: Complete lockdown till March 31, 2020, suspending transport, closing establishments, and prohibiting gatherings >5, directly obstructing labor and vehicle entry. 55 34
• Uttarakhand Health Department Advisory dated March 20, 2020: Restricted tourist entry and closed public venues, extending to non-essential personnel like migrant labor. 55

Later relaxations (e.g., MHA Guidelines dated April 15, 2020) allowed construction from April 20, 2020, with conditions like on-site housing for labor to minimize movement. 55 54 These measures, while necessary for health, caused widespread delays, as per ILO and PRS analyses. 31 33