NEW DELHI: The opening of the Sonamarg tunnel in J&K by PM Narendra Modi is just the beginning of major infrastructure development in the UT that will prove to be a boon for tourism and bring down travel time between Srinagar and Leh. On Monday, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced the timelines for over a dozen major projects, including highways, tunnels and ropeways, worth around Rs 1 lakh crore.
Addressing a public gathering at Sonamarg, Modi said J&K is becoming a hub of tunnels, high-bridges and ropeways, with some of the world's highest tunnels and rail-road bridges being constructed in the UT. He said the Chenab Bridge is an engineering marvel and the trial run of a passenger train was recently conducted.
On major connectivity projects, the PM said ropeway projects for Shankaracharya temple, Shivkhori and Baltal-Amarnath will be taken up. He added that projects with a cumulative cost of more than Rs 42,000 crore are underway in J&K, including four national highways and two ring roads. More than 14 tunnels are being constructed, making the UT "one of the most connected regions in the country", Modi said.
In his address, Gadkari said India will become more prosperous only when there is further improvement in infrastructure. "Industries, tourism and business can flourish only when we improve water, power, transport and communication. Our govt has put a huge focus on infrastructure development to push growth and generate employment," he said.
On the under-construction 14-km-long Zojila tunnel, Gadkari said this would reduce the travel time from Srinagar to Leh by around three and a half hours, and there will be all- season connectivity between the two cities. He added that the two major Ring Road projects for Jammu and Sringar will be completed in the next one and a half years.
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