Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Wednesday said that the proposal to upgrade Kupwara-Karnah, Bandipora-Gurez, and Kupwara-Keran roads to National Highway status will be reviewed upon the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
Gadkari was responding to a question raised by Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid, who sought National Highway status for these routes and urged the government to allocate funds for their widening and development.
Highlighting the government’s focus on infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir, Gadkari said projects worth ₹2 lakh crore are currently underway in J&K.
He informed the House that 105 tunnels are being constructed, including the strategically significant Zojila tunnel under the Kargil hill, which, once completed, will be the largest in Asia.
The Minister further said that the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced from the current 8-9 hours to approximately 3-3.5 hours, while connectivity between Delhi and Katra will improve significantly, reducing the journey time to just six hours.
On the specific demand for National Highway status for Kupwara-Karnah, Bandipora-Gurez, and Kupwara-Keran roads, Gadkari said that while these roads are not currently classified as National Highways, the government will conduct a detailed assessment after the completion of ongoing projects before making a final decision.
