Gadkari announces road projects for Punjab

Gadkari also announced launching of water transportation on a par with those in European countries

Union Minister of Roads, Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, along with Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Thursday announced 800-km road projects worth Rs 18,000 crore in the state. The projects would make Punjab the first state in the country to have connectivity to all major cities, with four-six-lane roads in the next two years.

Besides, to launch water transportation on a par with those in European countries, he also announced including Satluj and Beas rivers in the proposed water highways project along with 99 others.

Despite the inclement weather due to heavy rain in Malwa region, thousands of people attended the foundation-laying ceremony of seven projects of four-laning of the national highway from Bathinda to Chandigarh to connect Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

Four-laning of Amritsar-Bathinda highway would cost Rs 3,800 crore, Jalandhar to Moga will cost Rs 1,500 crore, Moga-Barnala Rs 500 crore, Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur to Himachal Pradesh Border Rs 1,000 crore, Chandigarh-Ludhiana Rs 2,000 crore, Kurali-Kharar Rs 300 crore, Rupnagar-Phawara with Rs 1,000 crore, Ladowal bypass with Rs 315 crore, Amritsar-Attari with Rs 250 crore and Samrala-Ludhiana Rs 1,000 crore.

All these projects would be initiated by December 2015.