Punjab is all set to witness a major step towards world-class road connectivity in all major cities. Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari along with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal will lay the foundation stones of 13 major projects amounting to Rs 10,290.88 crore on September 14 at Ropar, Samrala and Jalandhar.
These projects mainly include four-laning of Jalandhar-Barnala, Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur, Ropar-Phagwara, Kharar-Kurali, Chandigarh-Kharar, Kharar-ludhiana roads besides elevated road in ludhiana city.
"The projects would provide world-class road connectivity to commuters between Doaba and Malwa along with adjoining States in the next two years," said an official spokesperson, adding that the capital Chandigarh would also be connected with four-lane roads with all major cities like Amritsar, Jalandhar and ludhiana.
To ease out traffic in major cities, the Government would construct a 12.951 km-long elevated road with Rs 852.67 crore in ludhiana from Samrala to Municipal Corporation limit.
Besides, the foundation stone of four-lane ladowal bypass would also be laid which would link NH-95 with NH-1 via ladowal seed farm with a stretch of 17.041 km with the cost of Rs 392 crore.
Derabassi flyover would be dedicated to the public, which was constructed with Rs 113 crore, besides up-gradation of Amritsar Bypass with Rs 229.34 crore.
Giving details about four-laning projects, for which foundation stones would be laid down at Ropar, a spokesperson said that 80.820 km long Phagwara-Ropar road would be completed at a cost of Rs 1,367 crore and the 14.135-km-long Kharar-Kurali four lane project at a cost of Rs 457 crore. likewise, the Chandigarh-Kharar 10.185-km-long four-lane road would be constructed with an amount of Rs 746.38 crore.
Among others, the four-laning of 39.125 km Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road would be done at a cost of Rs 1,069.59 crore and the project would be completed in the next 24 months. A 4.81-km-long bypass would be constructed at Hoshiarpur besides a flyover at Adampur and, two major and five minor bridges.
"This road would not only provide traffic-free travel to commuters between major cities of the State but also to the commuters to adjoining States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh," said the spokesperson.
He said that the upgradation of road infrastructure would go a long way to boost the State's economic development, better connectivity, reduce the traffic congestion and make a significant difference in trucking logistics with increase in average road speed.
The spokesperson said that the work on these projects would start in full swing as the Deputy Chief Minister has fixed the deadline for completing the projects in the coming two years.