Modern wayside amenities also developed
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 13: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari today announced completion of key safety and commuter facility works on National Highway-44 (Jammu-Srinagar) with a total project cost of about Rs 171.25 crore.
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“The initiatives include blackspot rectification at SIDCO Chowk and the Gole Mela–Sangoor stretch, construction of an LVUP with service roads at Samba, and development of modern wayside amenities at Jhajjar Kotli, Qazigund, and Marhama,’’ Gadkari wrote in a couple of posts on X tagging pictures of highway and wayside amenities generated for the facilities of commuters travelling on the road.
He said these locations had been identified as accident-prone sections and high-conflict traffic points along the highway.
“The completed interventions will improve traffic circulation, enable safer turning movements, and optimise road geometry, significantly enhancing safety while easing congestion,’’ the Union Minister said.
He added that the wayside amenities developed along the corridor provide rest areas, parking facilities, food courts, and sanitation services for commuters, tourists, and truck drivers travelling on this vital route.
He added that these improvements will facilitate smoother and safer movement of passenger and freight traffic on NH-44, the crucial corridor connecting Jammu with the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country.
“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we remain committed to strengthening highway infrastructure in Jammu & Kashmir to promote connectivity, economic growth, and tourism,’’ Gadkari said.
Meanwhile, an official statement said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has successfully rectified a major accident blackspot at Samba on NH-44.
The location, a busy T-junction providing access to the SIDCO industrial area, had been identified as a blackspot by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) due to frequent turning movements of slow-moving industrial trailers, which often resulted in traffic conflicts and safety concerns.
“Addressing the challenge was complex as a major four-lane bridge was located just about 50 meters ahead of the junction, making conventional grade-separation solutions difficult to implement. To overcome this constraint, NHAI adopted an innovative engineering approach,’’ the statement said, adding that a new four-lane bridge was constructed between the two existing bridges, while the existing bridges have been converted into service roads.
Additionally, it said, a Vehicular Underpass (VUP) has been developed at the junction to completely eliminate traffic conflict points and facilitate smoother movement of vehicles accessing the industrial area.
“To ensure technical feasibility and cost efficiency, the new bridge deck was designed at a height sufficient to maintain the required vertical clearance above the existing bridges. This was achieved through a cantilever slab configuration, which minimized the need for large approach embankments and optimized the structure within the limited site width,’’ the statement said.
It added that the project faced several execution challenges, including cloudbursts and floods in 2025, as well as restricted working space while maintaining live traffic on NH-44.
The project was executed by the PIU Jammu under the guidance of NHAI Regional Officer Jammu and NHAI headquarters.
“This project represents another important milestone in NHAI’s ongoing efforts to enhance road safety and deliver safer, smoother and more efficient National Highways in Jammu & Kashmir,’’ the statement said.
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