Project cost escalates from Rs 25,000 cr to Rs 38,905 cr
* Being opened for Shri Amarnath Yatra in June
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 5: The prestigious Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway Project, one of the major ‘Greenfield Projects’ in the country under ‘Bharatmala Pariyojana’ is all set to be opened for the pilgrims of Shri Aarnath Ji Yatra in June this year from Balsua in Punjab and Raya Morh, near Ring Road in Vijaypur in district Samba for their easy and smooth movement.
This 670-KM Expressway from Bahadurgarh in Delhi up to Katra via Amritsar will reduce the travel time from Delhi to Amritsar to just four hours and Delhi to Katra to six hours. This Expressway will have six lanes extendable up to eight in future.
The project is unlikely to meet next deadline of December 2026 and is expected to be commissioned in March 2027. Delay in sanctioning Railway bridges, Operation Sindhoor and heavy rains and floods during last July-August caused hurdles in the smooth and speedy completion of the project on 147 kms stretch of this project in J&K region, a senior National Highway Authority of India (NHA) official said.
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The Expressway will provide seamless connectivity between two major pilgrimage destinations- Golden Temple at Amritsar in Punjab and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi at Katra in Reasi district – and is expected to significantly boost tourism, trade and regional mobility.
Regional Officer of NHAI, J&K, R S Yadav told the Excelsior that this project comprises several packages. He said under Package 14, spanning about 44.60 km from Balsua near Dinanagar in Punjab to Hiranagar in Kathua district, is being developed at a total cost of Rs 3,044 crore, including Rs 1,939 crore cost as civil works.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of the project in April 2022 and the construction on this package began on September 26, 2022, and has achieved about 85 % physical progress. It is now targeted for completion by ending May this year,” the Regional Officer added
Yadav further said under Package 15, a distance of 35.15 km is being covered from Hiranagar to Raya Morh (Ring Road) in Samba district, involving an amount of Rs 2,714.95 crore, including Rs 1,870 crore as cost of civil works.
“The work on this package also commenced in September 2022, and has reached about 90 % physical progress, with completion scheduled by June this year. However, Package 16, considered crucial for Jammu City connectivity, stretches 20.38 km from Raya Morh to Kunjwani. It includes a dedicated 7 km spur to the new Jammu Airport Terminal and the River Tawi’s 4th Bridge, besides a 1.2 km extension towards Jammu city,” Yadav revealed.
“Package 16, costing Rs 1,917.32 crore including Rs 1,765 crore as civil component, started on in September 2022, and has achieved about 95 % progress. “It is slated for completion by June tyhis year,” he added.
Kumar, however, acknowledged that the project faced delays due to land acquisition constraints and change of scope requirements arising from site conditions and design refinements.
Replying to a question with regard to the delay and jumping of several deadlines, the Regional Officer said land acquisition and some technical issues can be said as the major hurdles. During Operation Sindoor about 90 percent of the labourers fled to their respective states. This also affected the work on the project. “Once the labour leaves, it is very tough to bring them back,” he added.
Despite these challenges the enhanced resource mobilization and close coordination with stakeholders have helped keep the pace on the project. “We have given the contractors December ending 2026 as the completion target but they are not sure about it. We are hopeful that project will be completed by all means by March 2027,” he said.
Jadav said work on most of the major bridges including rivers –Ravi, Ujh, Tarnah, Basantar has nearly completed. Devak bridge near AIIMS, Vijaypur has been completed and allowed for traffic movement. Some Railway bridges issues are under active consideration of the concerned authorities. Some land issue near Nomain in Katra is sub-judice.
The Regional Officer disclosed that NHAI is planning to open Expressway from Balsua near Pathankot up to Raya Morh (Ring Road) during coming June, before the commencement of annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. “We are working hard to meet the given task”.
He said barring a few points, this entire stretch is almost ready. Then from Raya Morh Yatra traffic likely to be diverted to Ring Road up to Jagti near Nagrota, he added.
Another NHAI official said that with 273 km of the total 670 km access-controlled highway – with a route alignment connecting Jasaur Kheri in Jhajjar near Delhi with Katra – already complete, most of the 362 km stretch falling under the jurisdiction of Punjab is still incomplete.
The MoRTH has also put it on record that the delay in the completion of the Expressway has led to the escalation of project cost from Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 38,905 crore, a rise of 55.62 per cent.
Caught up in the land acquisition hurdles, this Expressway is now scheduled to be completed by March 2027.
It is pertinent to mention here that in July last Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had reviewed the status of the stalled NHAI projects in Punjab. In the report, it was mentioned that the physical progress of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway has been the most dismal, ranging from a dismal 3 per cent to a high of 90 per cent for multiple packages and spurs, 11 of which fall within Punjab.
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