The Punjab Government has earmarked Rs 11,000 crore to ramp up infrastructure
in the state. The plan covering 13,000-km roads includes four-laning, six-laning,
widening and upgrading of all key transport arteries.
The Shambu-Jalandhar road is likely to be completed by March 2011. Work on
four-laning of highways worth Rs 2,225 crore is to be completed by October 2010.
These roads include Kurali-Kiratpur Sahib, Amritsar-Wagah road, Jalandhar -Dhilwan,
Dhilwan-Amritsar, Ludhiana-Malerkotla, Kharar - Landran, Desu Majra - Kharar,
Pathankot - Amritsar, Jalandhar - Pathankot.
Apart from this, work on five new four-lane roads at a cost of Rs 2,515 crore
including Kharar - Ludhiana, Ludhiana - Talwandi Bhai, Zirakpur - Patiala,
Patiala - Sangrur - Bathinda is to be taken up shortly. Two high-level bridges
at a cost of Rs 100 crore at Sarai ka Pattan over Satluj and Gidder Pindi near
Makhu over Satluj will be completed by December 2010.
So far, the state government has completed work on 1,370 km of new link roads
out of 1,792 km at a cost of Rs 300 crore. Likewise, 9,611-km link roads had
been repaired out of total 11,842 km at a cost of Rs 1,922 crore. Also, the
widening and strengthening of 500-km roads had been carried out in border areas.