Underlining that the government has given highest priority to develop highways in Jammu and Kashmir besides north-east, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thrusday said construction works worth Rs 2 lakh crore are underway in J and K, where 105 tunnels are being constructed for ease of travel.
The minister said the government is also constructing a tunnel at Zojila, which would be the longest in Asia and to be located in a sub-zero temperature zone, while answering questions in the Lok Sabha.
He said initially, the tunnel was estimated to be constructed for over Rs 12,000 crore, but it will be completed at just around Rs 5,500 crore. Gadkari also invited Speaker Om Birla and other MPs to visit the site to see the engineering marvel of the Zojila tunnel.
He said the work on the Jammu-Srinagar highway is also under progress, where 36 tunnels will be constructed, of which works in 22 tunnels have been completed. He said once the work is completed, the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced to three to three and half hours instead of the current seven hours.
The minister said work on the expressway between Delhi-Katra is also in progress, and upon completion, the travel time between the two places will be reduced to half from the present 12 hours.
He informed the house a total of 25,000 km of two-lane highways in the country will be converted into four lanes for Rs 10 lakh crore, and it will help reduce accidents on the roads significantly. He also said 16,000 km of national highways will also be converted into six lanes for Rs 6 lakh crore.
“We are planning to convert 25,000 km of two-lane highways into four-lane highways at a cost of Rs 10 lakh crore. The DPRs (detailed project reports) of the projects are getting ready and we are hopeful to complete the work in two years,” he saidduring Question Hour.
