New Delhi, Aug. 10 -- The government is preparing a major push to build more than 5,000 km of highways in border regions over the next three to five years, seeking to strengthen military mobility while opening up some of India's most remote areas to trade, tourism and investment, two persons aware of the matter said.

The proposed expansion comes as the government steps up infrastructure development along sensitive frontiers and could involve investment of more than Rs.2 trillion over the coming years, the first of the two persons said.

The programme is expected to focus on strategic stretches along India's borders with China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, complementing highways already being developed in border states and Union t...