Union Minister for Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said the dream of having a highway from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will be realised by the beginning of the next year. "Kashmir to Kanyakumari road was a dream for us. From Rohtang to Ladakh, four tunnels will be constructed. From Leh, we will come to Kargil and join Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels. "A new road will reduce the distance between Delhi and Chennai by 1,312 kilometres. This dream will come true by the start of 2024," Gadkari told reporters here.



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The minister was in the union territory to attend the second meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Road Transport and Highways. Gadkari said when the BJP government was formed at the Centre in 2014, we prepared a roadmap for road infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.


"Since then we have undertaken projects worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore in Jammu and Kashmir” Once these projects are complete, the tourist footfall to Jammu and Kashmir will increase by four times. People go to Switzerland, our J&K is more beautiful," Gadkari said. The minister said Jammu and Kashmir administration has identified 13 acres of land for creating roadside facilities for tourists. "The tourism increase will lead to job creation for locals. In the coming few years, we will take the road network of Jammu and Kashmir to American standards," he added.


In an announcement focusing on pilgrimage tourism, Gadkari announced plans for the construction of a tunnel between Sheshnag and Panjtarni on the Amarnath yatra route which, he claimed, will reduce the yatra time from the current three days to just nine hours. "A 110-kilometre road from Khanabal to Panjtarni will be constructed for the ease of Amarnath yatris at a cost of Rs 5,300 crore. The DPR for a 73 km stretch from Khanabal to Chandanwari will be done in July 2023.


"The DPR for the 37 km stretch from Chandanwari to Baltal via Panjtarni at a cost of Rs 3,500 will be done in October this year. A 10.8 kilometre-long tunnel will be constructed between Sheshnag and Panjtarni," the minister said. According to the minister, the Srinagar Ring Road (from Galander in Pulwama district to Ganderbal district), which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 4,660 crore, will ease the traffic congestion and pollution in the city.


Also read - Nitin Gadkari Visits Asia's Longest, Highest Zojila Tunnel In Jammu & Kashmir


Further, the minister made the announcement of the construction of a tunnel at Pir Ki Gali on Mughal Road, connecting Poonch in the Jammu region to Shopian in the Valley. "The Rs 6,000 crore project includes Rs 5,000 crore tunnel at Pir ki Gali, which comprises the construction of an all-weather road," he said. He gave details of the ongoing road projects in the union territory, saying it will reduce the travel time on most routes.


"Tunnelling on the Jammu-Srinagar corridor has reduced the distance by nearly 20 per cent. The travel time has already been reduced to 5.5 hours (between Jammu and Srinagar). It can be reduced further by two hours once the ongoing works on the remaining five tunnels are complete," he added.