Srinagar: A four-lane road will be constructed from Khanabal to Panjtarni for a hassle-free journey to the Amarnath pilgrimage, disclosed Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. He further stated that a tunnel will be constructed on Mughal Road, which links Kashmir with the Rajouri district and it will be an all-weather road. He said that development projects worth Rs 1,25,000 crore have been earmarked for Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he said, "Since 2014, around 500 km of the road network was completed in the region. Whereas around 1,700 km roads are being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 75,000 crore." Earlier, the Union Minister inspected the ongoing road project at strategic Zojila and Z Morh tunnels in Ganderbal district." He said that about 41 significant tunnels are being constructed in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with an outlay of Rs 45,000 crore. The ropeways worth Rs 5,000 crore will be constructed in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
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The Union Minister further said that to make the journey between Jammu and Srinagar comfortable, three corridors worth Rs 35,000 crore is being constructed. He said that the distance of 320 km between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced by 70 km after the completion of these corridors. The design of the four-laning of the Jammu-Srinagar highway is based on geotechnical and geo-scientific findings to reduce the obstacles caused by landslides, the Union Minister informed the gathering. Gadkari said that a new 78 km four-lane ring road is being laid in Srinagar at an estimated cost of Rs 4,660 crore. With the improvement in road networks, the footfall of tourists in the Valley will go up three to four times, Gadkari summed up.
