Union Minister Ajay Tamta on Monday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir has moved from a phase of “difficult and disrupted connectivity” to a modern transport network backed by massive investments in highways, tunnels and expressways, which are expected to accelerate tourism, industry and socio-economic growth.
Tamta, who was on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, inspected key National Highway projects and later chaired a high-level review meeting here.
During the visit, the Minister travelled along the entire Srinagar–Jammu section of NH-44, inspecting the Qazigund–Banihal and Chenani–Nashri tunnels, the landslide-prone Ramban–Banihal stretch, and the ongoing Srinagar and Jammu Ring Road projects being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Senior officials of NHAI, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) accompanied him during the field inspections.
Officials briefed the Minister on the progress of ongoing and upcoming projects funded by MoRTH, including works being executed by NHAI, NHIDCL, BRO and PWD across the Union Territory.
Highlighting the transformation since 2014, Tamta said Jammu and Kashmir has undergone an “unprecedented transformation” in road and transport infrastructure. He noted that before 2014, highway development in the region was limited due to difficult terrain, frequent landslides and poor all-weather connectivity. Since then, projects worth nearly Rs 1.35 lakh crore have been taken up. Of these, 700 km of roads worth Rs 20,000 crore have been completed, 2,300 km worth Rs 50,000 crore are under construction, and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for another 707 km worth Rs 65,000 crore are being prepared.
He said tunnel construction has been a major focus area. While only five tunnels existed in Jammu and Kashmir before 2014, the Jammu–Srinagar corridor alone now has 25 tunnels, of which 20 have been completed and five are under construction.
The meeting was informed that the Rs 16,000-crore Jammu–Udhampur–Srinagar four-lane corridor has achieved 95 per cent progress. Once completed, it will reduce travel time between Jammu and Srinagar from nine hours to about four hours and shorten the distance by nearly 70 km.
Four high-speed corridors worth Rs 50,000 crore — Jammu–Udhampur–Srinagar, Jammu–Chenani–Anantnag, Srinagar–Baramulla–Uri and Jammu–Akhnoor — are currently under construction. These projects will improve connectivity to the Kashmir Valley, Chenab Valley, Rajouri–Poonch, North Kashmir and key border areas, thereby boosting tourism, trade and defence mobility.
The 670-km Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Greenfield Expressway, being developed at a cost of Rs 41,000 crore, will further strengthen pilgrimage connectivity. Within Jammu and Kashmir, 143 km of the expressway, worth Rs 11,500 crore, is slated for completion by August 2027 and is expected to reduce the Delhi–Katra distance by 58 km.
The meeting was also informed that pilgrimage and tourism infrastructure projects are being prioritised. DPRs are being prepared for 60 km of road works related to the Amarnath Yatra at an estimated cost of Rs 3,500 crore.
The Rs 880-crore Katra Intermodal Station will integrate rail, road and heli-services for devotees visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. Additionally, 54 ropeway proposals worth Rs 30,000 crore have been received, with eight projects worth Rs 16,000 crore set to be taken up in the first phase. These include ropeway projects at Shri Amarnath Ji Cave, Shankaracharya Temple, Thajiwas Glacier, Bhadarwah, Sanasar and Doodhpathri, among other locations.