Srinagar: Travel time between Jammu and Srinagar will decrease further as the government has completed a vital four-lane bypass bridge in Banihal town of the Ramban district on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir.
The government will open one double lane of the bypass on Sunday, while its second tube will be opened for traffic after 15 days when its junction with the highway is completed.
The double-lane narrow stretch of the old highway in the Banihal town would remain congested with traffic and marketeers, causing daily blockage of the traffic on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
The bypass, spanning 2.35 kilometers, will strengthen national security logistics and enhance tourism prospects in the region, Union Minister for Highway and Transport Nitin Gadkari said.
“In Jammu & Kashmir, we havesuccessfully completed a 4-lane, 2.35 km bypass to Banihal town for Rs 224.44 crore. Strategically located on the Ramban–Banihal section of NH-44, the bypass features 4 viaducts spanning 1,513 meters and 3 culverts, effectively addressing the persistent bottleneck caused by roadside markets and shops,” Gadkari said.
Gadkari said initially, 2-lane traffic will be released and 4-lane traffic shall be released after junction development within 15 days. “This critical infrastructure ensures unhindered traffic flow, significantly reducing travel time and congestion for both tourists and defence vehicles en route to the Kashmir Valley. Beyond improving regional connectivity, the bypass strengthens national security logistics and enhances tourism prospects in the region,” he said.
Crediting the “visionary leadership” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gadkari said this transformative project contributes to economic growth while elevating Jammu & Kashmir’s status as a premier tourist destination.
The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, known as NH-44, has been under construction for the last ten years and the government has constructed several tunnels and widened it into a four lane highway. The road would remain closed during winter for most of the time due to landslides and blockage which would take days for travellers to reach Jammu and Srinagar.
However, the four-laning of the the highway and altering its course from the old alignment has now made it an all-weather road and reduced the travel time to five hours between Jammu and Srinagar.
The multi-crore project of the widening and four laning as the highway is strategically important for the defense forces given that it is the only surface connection between Jammu and Kashmir.
