The master plan of the network, to be readied over the next six months, will be quite comprehensive, covering issues related to land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement, funding pattern, economic evaluation, environment-impact assessment, commercial- utilisation scope, as well as possible amendments the project may require in relevant acts/laws and traffic flow data across the national highways and major state highways. States will be kept closely involved with the project to assess priority of corridors and to also get their cooperation in land acquisition and project construction. The study will also keep in mind the existing and proposed highway development plans by the Centre as well as the states and the impact, if any, the expressways would have on the viability of Build Operate Transfer (BOT) based projects.

According to a 1998 study by the ministry, 15,766 km of expressways would be required in the country by 2020. The Road Development Plan Vision: 2021 also recommend that a 10,000 km expressway network requiring an investment of Rs 100,000 crore should be in place by 2021.