Punjab’s road infrastructure will undergo significant changes in 2024: Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway to be operational first
In the year 2024, Punjab’s road infrastructure is set to undergo significant changes. Over the period of 2024-2025, the plan is to construct five greenfield and economic corridors within Punjab. This announcement came from the country’s Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, during his recent visit to Amritsar. Among these, the most notable project is the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra highway, slated for completion in 2024.
Additionally, there are plans for the Amritsar-Bathinda-Jamnagar (Gujarat), Ludhiana-Rupnagar Highway, Ludhiana-Bathinda Green Field Highway, and the Chandigarh-Ambala Kotputli Green Highway.
All these corridors are scheduled for completion within the next two years, marking a significant transformation in Punjab’s highway network.
As of 2014, the length of National Highways in Punjab was 1699 kilometers. Presently, it has expanded to 4239 kilometers. With the completion of these five corridors within the next two years, this length is expected to further increase significantly.
One major project, the 699-kilometer Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway, is being constructed at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore. Once finished, it will enable travel from Delhi to Amritsar in 4 hours and from Delhi to Katra in 6 hours. Currently, the distance from Delhi to Katra is 727 km, and with the construction of this expressway, it will be reduced by 58 km.
Other projects include a 137 km expressway starting from KMP in Delhi, with 399 km already completed. Additionally, a 135-km expressway in Jammu and Kashmir is underway, with 120 km completed.
In Punjab, this expressway will traverse industrial areas such as Patiala, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Gurdaspur. However, the progress on this expressway is currently at 17 percent completion.