Expressway will be ready very soon: CM Mann
The News Freedom
Amritsar, October 19
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday inspected the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway (DAK) and Amritsar bypass during his stay in Punjab. Five greenfield and economic corridors are being built in Punjab at a cost of Rs 29,000 crore. This 669 km greenfield expressway Delhi-Amritsar-Katra is being built at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore. With its construction, one can reach Amritsar from Delhi in 4 hours and Katra from Delhi in 6 hours. Presently, the distance from Delhi to Katra is 727 km, with the construction of this route the distance will be reduced by 58 km.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today envisioned that Delhi- Katra Expressway will be a harbinger of a new era of unprecedented development and prosperity in the state. The Chief, who accompanied Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to review the work of this prestigious project, said that the work on this ambitious project will be completed very soon and it will be dedicated to people thereafter. He said that the state government has already extended fulsome support and cooperation to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the completion of the project. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this project will give major fillip to the economic activity in the region besides opening new vistas of employment for the youth.
The Chief Minister expressed hope that the project will give much needed boost to the trade and commerce in the state thereby emerging Punjab as the frontrunner state in the country. He said that with the intervention of the Union Minister the work on this project will be further expedited thereby giving impetus to the economy of the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann also said that this highway will facilitate the pilgrims going to pay obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine apart from giving boost to economic activity in the region.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is committed for the holistic development of the state for which more such projects will be brought in state. He said that this is an ambitious project, which once completed, will save time, money and energy of commuters travelling from Delhi to Punjab and Jammu-Kashmir especially those desirous of paying obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the 254 kilometer long highway will be constructed at a cost Rs 11,510 crore and will pass through nine districts of the state viz. Jalandhar, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Patiala, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur.
Starting from KMP in Delhi, this expressway is being built for 137 km in Haryana. The length of this expressway in Punjab is 399 km, of which work has started on 296 km. The length of the expressway in Jammu and Kashmir is 135 km, of which work is going on in 120 km.
A major feature of this corridor includes Asia’s longest 1300 meter long cable stayed bridge over the Beas River. This expressway will connect the major religious places of the Sikh community, the Golden Temple, Sultanpur Lodhi Gurdwara in Kapurthala district, Goindwal Sahib Gurdwara, Khandur Sahib Gurdwara, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (Taran Taran) till Mata Darbar Vaishno Devi in Katra.
The work of 50 km, 4-lane Amritsar bypass being built at a cost of Rs 1475 crore is in progress. With its construction, there will be better connectivity from Tarn Taran to Amritsar Airport. This bypass will prove effective in solving the traffic problem of Amritsar. This route will improve the connectivity, transportation and infrastructure of Amritsar.
The Punjab Public Works Department Minister, Harbhajan Singh and Member of Parliament from Amritsar, Gurjit Singh Aujla were also present during the inspection.