NEW DELHI: Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, stated that the government is working to make roads of Jammu and Kashmir similar to American roads in the next three to four years.
While addressing a press briefing, the minister stated that a four-lane Greenfield Expressway will be completed which will connect Katra to Delhi. This expressway will be 670 kilometers from Delhi to Vaishno Devi Dham, costing ₹37,524 crores, and will be completed by December 2023.
Gadkari stated, “Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield is the most important one among a total of 32 Green Express Highways being built.” He further added that completion of this expressway will cut down the time between Delhi to Amritsar which will be covered in four hours, Delhi to Katra in six hours, and Delhi to Srinagar in eight hours.
On his two-day journey to the Union Territory, Gadkari visited Asia’s largest tunnel, Zojila Tunnel to inspect ongoing work. He said that once the tunnel is completed, tourism will increase, boosting employment opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir. He also mentioned that 19 tunnels are being constructed in Jammu and Kashmir for all-weather connectivity to Ladakh, at the cost of ₹25,000 crores.