Kashmir-Kanyakumari road to start by 2024, reduce travel time: Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister for Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said the dream of having a highway from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will be realised by the beginning of the next year.

"Kashmir to Kanyakumari road was a dream for us. From Rohtang to Ladakh, four tunnels will be constructed. From Leh, we will come to Kargil and join Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels.

"A new road will reduce the distance between Delhi and Chennai by 1,312 kilometres. This dream will come true by the start of 2024," Gadkari told reporters.

The minister was in the union territory to attend the second meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Road Transport and Highways.

Gadkari said when the BJP government was formed at the Centre in 2014, we prepared a roadmap for road infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.

In an announcement focusing on pilgrimage tourism, Gadkari announced plans for the construction of a tunnel between Sheshnag and Panjtarni on the Amarnath yatra route which, he claimed, will reduce the yatra time from the current three days to just nine hours.

"A 110-kilometre road from Khanabal to Panjtarni will be constructed for the ease of Amarnath yatris at a cost of Rs 5,300 crore. The DPR for a 73 km stretch from Khanabal to Chandanwari will be done in July 2023.

Further, the minister made the announcement of the construction of a tunnel at Pir Ki Gali on Mughal Road, connecting Poonch in the Jammu region to Shopian in the Valley.

He gave details of the ongoing road projects in the union territory, saying it will reduce the travel time on most routes.