Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the 157.92-km-long fourlane, fully access-controlled Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway (Packages 1 to 5), developed at a cost of around Rs 9,680 crore, and laid the foundation stones of the National Highway project of over Rs 12,470 crore from Jind in Haryana on July 17.
The Greenfield corridor forms part of the 667 km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway that will reduce travel time between Delhi and Katra from about 14 hours to nearly six hours, while cutting the DelhiAmritsar journey from about eight hours to four hours.
The project is expected to significantly decongest NH44 (GT Road), boost pilgrim and tourist traffic to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, and catalyse industrial and logistics development along the corridor. PM Modi also dedicated the 33.81-km-long four-lane, partially access-controlled Ambala-Kala Amb Highway on NH-7 and NH-344.
The highway will strengthen connectivity between the Ambala urban agglomeration and the Kala Amb industrial belt, improving road links between Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, facilitating tourist movement to hill regions and reducing logistics costs for industries in Kala Amb. Another major project dedicated was the 40.60-kmlong Jind-Gohana Greenfield Highway on NH-352A.
The new highway will reduce travel time between Jind and Gohana from about two hours to just 40 minutes, benefiting commuters, freight transport and the agriculturally significant Jind-Gohana region while improving connectivity to Rohtak, Panipat and the DelhiNational Capital Region (NCR).
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the 24.27-km-long HansiBarwala Brownfield Highway Project, which will upgrade the existing carriageway to a 2/4-lane configuration with paved shoulders.
