Tunnels on JK Highway to become a tourist attraction: Modi

The tunnels on the Jammu- Srinagar national highway will soon become a tourist attraction in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here today.
"People will say that they won't use aeroplane but would like to see the tunnels. They would want to see the longest tunnel in the country. It will become a hub of tourism and for that development has to be taken to such a height, we are working on that directions," Modi said.
The Prime Minister today laid the foundation stone of the Rs 4306 crore project of four laning of Udhampur-Ramban and Ramban-Banihal sections of Jammu-Srinagar national highway, approved by the Government of India.

He also stressed on the need for development of modern infrastructure on the highway.
The PM said people want to settle near the national highway, so their requirement of road network has changed and now they demand four lanes for national highway and double lane in villages instead of just a small roads.
"...As you know that there was a time when people used to set up cities on the river banks. Then there came a time when people started to settle near the national highway because connectivity became a crucial part in todays era," he said.

Modi said expectations of common people were changing and for that roads have to be modern as far as their architecture was concerned, "modern technology and new material should be used for the construction of roads. We are giving focus on that"

He said development of roads would save time and "as it is said that time is money".
"If time is saved, lot of money can be saved. If I have to travel from Jammu to Srinagar and if instead of 10-12 hours, I reach in 2-4 hours then it would save my entire day, and roads were being constructed keeping these points in mind," he said.
Modi said expenditure on the construction of roads have increased because the quality has improved and the material, technology haves changed.
He said the government was working on providing rail and road connectivity, water and electricity supply to ensure that people get all these facilities in modern way.