Waseem Ahmad
SRINAGAR, Feb 12: Despite missing three deadlines in the past, the widening of Srinagar-Qazigund National Highway is not complete even as seven years have been passed since the project was started.
The widening of the highway was first set to be completed by June 2014, and then it was extended to 2015 and then December 2017 was set as another deadline for the project. But authorities failed to complete the project within the stipulated time.
The widening of the National Highway was started in 2011 but several stretches and various minor bridges of the highway are still incomplete.
As per RAMKY, a Hyderabad-based construction company, tasked with the widening of the highway, the project was delayed several times in past due to 2014 devastating floods and 2016 unrest.
“After 2014 floods in Kashmir and unrest of 2016, the banks which were supporting the project hesitated in funding of the project. It was National Highways Authority of India who supported the project further,” an official of RAMKY said.
He said except some stretches, most of the highway is functional and the pending work would be completed soon. “Two bypasses are functional and most of the highway is ready, except some of the stretches and some bridges on which minor work is pending,” the RAMKY official said.
He said the four-lane highway comprised of five sections- Qazigund Bypass, Bijbehara Bypass, Awantipora Bypass, Pampore Bypass and widening of existing highway. “The highway near Malpora is complete except an issue with the high tension electricity line which is to be shifted. In Laram Ganjipora, only 80 meters widening of the highway is pending,” he said, adding Two incomplete bridges at Kadlabal and Padgampora will be ready by the end of February this year.
He further added that 82 percent of the project is complete and expressed hope that the project will be completed by the end of June this year.”The work on the project is going on full swing despite winters and it will be completed by the end of June this year,” he said
The first section of the highway which comprised of nine kilometers of road length from Gallander to Lasjan bypass was opened in October last year.
During the inauguration of the section by Minister for Public Works, Naeem Akhtar at that time had said the entire highway will be commissioned by December 2017.
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