Jammu, June 18: The government is preparing a detailed project report for a 60-kilometer road project aimed at strengthening infrastructure along the Amarnath Yatra route, with an estimated cost of ₹3,500 crore. This information was shared during a meeting chaired by Ajay Tamta, the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways.
The Amarnath road project is part of a broader initiative to improve pilgrimage and tourism infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. Officials reported that the detailed project report for the 60-kilometer stretch of the Amarnath Yatra route is underway. Additionally, an intermodal station in Katra is being developed at a cost of ₹880 crore, which will integrate rail, road, and helicopter services for pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.
Moreover, proposals for 54 ropeway projects, costing ₹30,000 crore, have been received. Eight projects, estimated at ₹16,000 crore, will be taken up in the first phase. These include sites such as the Amarnath Cave, Shankaracharya Temple, Thajivas Glacier, Bhaderwah, Sanasar, and Doodhpathri.
The meeting also highlighted the ongoing construction of four high-speed corridors, with a total investment of ₹50,000 crore. These corridors include Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar, Jammu-Chenani-Anantnag, Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri, and Jammu-Akhnoor routes. These projects aim to enhance connectivity to the Kashmir Valley, Chenab Valley, Rajouri-Poonch, North Kashmir, and border areas, thereby promoting tourism, trade, and defense mobility.
A 670-kilometer Delhi-Amritsar-Katra greenfield expressway is also being developed at a cost of ₹41,000 crore, which will strengthen pilgrimage connectivity. The 143-kilometer segment of this expressway within Jammu and Kashmir (costing ₹11,500 crore) is expected to be completed by August 2027, reducing the distance between Delhi and Katra by 58 kilometers.
Additionally, ring roads for urban transport are being developed. The 104-kilometer Srinagar ring road, costing ₹7,200 crore, will alleviate city traffic and enhance connectivity with Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Gurez, Kargil, and Leh. The 58-kilometer Jammu ring road is nearly complete, with 53 kilometers already operational, while work is ongoing on the detailed project report for the 33-kilometer eastern Jammu ring road.
Officials indicated that the next phase will involve preparing detailed project reports for highway projects spanning 707 kilometers, with an estimated cost of ₹65,000 crore. These will include the 125-kilometer Katra-Srinagar high-speed corridor, the Rafiabad-Kupwara-Tangdhar route (including the Sadhna Tunnel), the Surankot-Bafliaz-Doodhpathri-Magam corridor (including the Peer Ki Gali Tunnel), the Samba-Mansar-Udhampur four-lane road, and new service roads and underpasses on the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri corridor and Srinagar-Kazigund section.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently emphasized these projects during his visit to the Zojila Tunnel, where he initiated the breakthrough blast for the tunnel. Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were also present during the visit. The Zojila Tunnel is expected to be operational by the end of 2028.
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