The work has commenced on the first-of-its-kind Katra-Delhi Express Road Corridor which will be ready by 2023.
Once the express road corridor becomes functional, travel time from Katra (Jammu & Kashmir) to Delhi will get reduced to around six-and-a-half hours, and from Jammu to Delhi to just around six hours.
The hallmark of the road corridor is that it will connect the holy cities of Katra and Amritsar, and at the same time offer connectivity for some other major important religious shrines between the two destinations.
After completion of survey by Feedback Consultants, the process of acquisition of land is nearly complete and work on the ground has started.
The project is estimated to cost over Rs 35,000 crore. The important cities through which this expressway corridor will pass include Jammu and Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir, and Jalandhar, Amritsar, Kapurthala and Ludhiana in Punjab.
Simultaneous widening of the national highway between Pathankot and Jammu is also being undertaken to upgrade it from four-lane to six-lane which will also benefit commuters between Jammu, Kathua and Pathankot.
Scheduled to be completed within a timeline of three years, the road corridor will promote industries and investments in the entire region. It will also pave the way for growth of economic hubs in cities like Kathua and Jammu.