JK Gets Rs 1.35 Lakh Cr Road Infra Boost Since 2014

Convener News Desk 

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JAMMU, JUNE 16: Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta on Sunday said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an unprecedented transformation in road and transport infrastructure since 2014, with projects worth nearly ₹1.35 lakh crore taken up across the Union Territory and the number of tunnels on key highway corridors increasing fivefold.

 

Addressing a high-level review meeting at the Convention Centre here after completing a two-day inspection tour of major National Highway projects, Tamta said that before 2014, highway development in the region was constrained by difficult terrain, frequent landslides and poor all-weather connectivity. Since then, works worth around ₹1.35 lakh crore have been sanctioned, including 700 km of highways worth ₹20,000 crore already completed, 2,300 km worth ₹50,000 crore currently under construction and DPRs being prepared for another 707 km worth ₹65,000 crore.

 

Highlighting tunnel construction as a major focus area, the Minister said only five tunnels existed in Jammu and Kashmir before 2014. Today, the Jammu-Srinagar corridor alone has 25 tunnels, including 20 completed and five under construction. He said strategic projects such as the Zojila Tunnel, Digdol-Khooni Nallah, Sungal, Bhimber Gali, Sinthan Pass, Sudhmahadev, Sadhna Pass, Peer Ki Gali and the parallel Chenani-Nashri alignment will ensure reliable year-round connectivity across the region.

 

The Minister wrapped up his visit after inspecting the entire Srinagar-Jammu section of NH-44, including the Qazigund-Banihal and Chenani-Nashri tunnels, the landslide-prone Ramban-Banihal stretch and the ongoing Srinagar and Jammu Ring Road projects being executed by NHAI. He also reviewed the Chenani-Sudhmahadev stretch and the proposed Sudhmahadev-Dranga tunnel alignment under NHIDCL.

 

Senior officers of NHAI, NHIDCL, BRO, PWD and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways accompanied him during the inspections.

 

The review meeting was attended by Members of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma and Sat Pal Sharma, MLAs Chandra Prakash Ganga, Yudhvir Sethi, Vikram Randhawa, Arvind Gupta and Surendra Bhagat, besides senior officials of all highway development agencies.

 

Officials briefed the Minister about the progress of ongoing and upcoming projects being executed by NHAI, NHIDCL, BRO and PWD across Jammu and Kashmir.

 

The meeting was informed that the ₹16,000-crore Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar four-lane corridor has achieved 95 per cent progress. Once completed, it is expected to reduce travel time between Jammu and Srinagar from nearly nine hours to around four hours while shortening the distance by about 70 kilometres.

 

Officials said tunnels, viaducts, bypasses and slope protection works are transforming NH-44 into a safer all-weather route. To improve resilience further, works worth ₹230 crore are being undertaken at 15 vulnerable locations between Udhampur and Banihal, while bypass projects worth ₹600 crore have already been completed at Banihal, Ramban, Ashajipora, Seri and Makarkote.

 

The Minister was informed that four major high-speed corridors worth ₹50,000 crore are currently under construction, including the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar, Jammu-Chenani-Anantnag, Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri and Jammu-Akhnoor corridors. These projects are expected to improve connectivity to the Kashmir Valley, Chenab Valley, Rajouri-Poonch, North Kashmir and border areas while supporting tourism, trade and defence mobility.

 

The 670-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway, being developed at a cost of ₹41,000 crore, will further strengthen pilgrimage connectivity. Within Jammu and Kashmir, 143 km of the expressway worth ₹11,500 crore is targeted for completion by August 2027 and is expected to reduce the Delhi-Katra distance by 58 kilometres.

 

The review meeting also discussed urban mobility projects. Officials said the 104-km Srinagar Ring Road, estimated at ₹7,200 crore, will divert through traffic from the city and improve connectivity to Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Gurez, Kargil and Leh. The 58-km Jammu Ring Road is nearing completion, with 53 km already operational, while DPR preparation is underway for the proposed 33-km Eastern Jammu Ring Road.

 

The next phase of development includes DPRs for 707 km of highways worth ₹65,000 crore. Major proposed projects include the 125-km Katra-Srinagar High-Speed Corridor, the Rafiabad-Kupwara-Tangdhar route with the Sadhna Tunnel, the Surankote-Bufliaz-Doodhpathri-Magam corridor with the Peer Ki Gali Tunnel, Samba-Mansar-Udhampur four-laning, the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri corridor and new service roads and underpasses on the Srinagar-Qazigund stretch.

 

Officials informed the meeting that pilgrimage and tourism infrastructure is also being expanded. DPRs are being prepared for 60 km of road projects related to the Amarnath Yatra at an estimated cost of ₹3,500 crore. The ₹880-crore Katra Intermodal Station will integrate rail, road and helicopter services for pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.

 

Additionally, 54 ropeway proposals worth ₹30,000 crore have been received, with eight projects worth ₹16,000 crore proposed in the first phase. These include ropeways at the Shri Amarnath Ji Cave, Shankaracharya Temple, Thajiwas Glacier, Bhadarwah, Sanasar and Doodhpathri.

 

Appreciating the efforts of all executing agencies, Tamta directed officials to ensure timely completion of projects while maintaining quality, safety and public convenience. He said the infrastructure push of the last 12 years has moved Jammu and Kashmir from difficult and disrupted connectivity to a modern, all-weather, high-speed and integrated transport network that will significantly boost tourism, pilgrimage, industry, defence logistics and overall socio-economic development.