Shadow Correspondent
Leh, Oct 3:
Even as the Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH44) faced extensive damage during recent floods but there is a hope that the most dangerous stretch of the highway will get a boost early next
Jammu-Srinagar NH44 to
year. It is expected that one of the two tunnels being constructed between Marog to Panthyal on the Ramban-Banihal stretch of the highway will be completed by early 2026.
Not only that, but another milestone is expected to be achieved by the end of next year, which is the completion of the remaining four-lane road and flyover beyond Ramsu.
The completion of both these projects will further ease the traffic congestion on the highway, and the travel to the Kashmir valley will become smooth.
Giving details, an official of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) told ETV Bharat that two tunnels are still under construction, which include a tunnel between Marog to Digdole and another is Digdole to Panthyal.
“The Marog to Digdole twin-tube tunnel of 4.2 km will bypass 5 km of existing road and will be completed by June 2027, whereas the Digdole to Panthyal twin-tube tunnel of 2.6 km and 3 km will bypass 3 km of existing road and will be completed by January 2026,” said an official.
He said that work on both these tunnels is going on a fast-track basis, and if things go as planned, the project will be completed on time. At present, vehicles have to travel on the existing two-lane old road, where breakdown of any vehicle or slow movement of heavy vehicles leads to a nightmare of traffic jams.
Most of the other four-lane and tunnelling work between Ramban and Banihal has been almost completed, and already the journey has become smooth, but once both these tunnels are completed, the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced to four hours.
One more dangerous portion is beyond the Ramsu area, where NHAI is constructing flyovers, and this project is also expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
During unprecedented rainfall in the month of August, NHAI faced a tough time when the highway between Udhampur and Chenani suffered huge damage, and a portion of 200 meters of road got completely damaged at Tharar near Wali Nallah. Though NHAI restored the traffic but still work is still going on.
