J&K to Delhi in six hours, Express corridor work begins

The travel time from Katra to Delhi will now be reduced to six and half hours as Katra Katra- Delhi Express Road Corridor is going to be built. The work is in progress for Katra to Delhi express corridor. 

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that once the Express Road Corridor becomes functional, people will prefer to travel to the national capital by road instead of undertaking the journey by train or by air. Scheduled to be completed within a timeline of three years, he said, the road corridor will prove to be a path-breaking revolution in promoting industry and investments in the entire region.

He said, the important cities through which this Expressway Corridor will pass include Jammu and Kathua in J&K, and Jalandhar, Amritsar, Kapurthala, and Ludhiana in Punjab.

The minister stated that in a simultaneous project, the widening of the National Highway between Pathankot and Jammu is also being undertaken, to upgrade it from 4 – lane to 6 – lane, which will also prove to be a great boon for the commuters between Jammu, Kathua, and Pathankot.

The highlight of this road corridor is that it will connect the holy cities of Katra and Amritsar, and at the same time offer connectivity for some other major important religious shrines between the two destinations, he said.

Things to know about the corridor: 

  • The corridor connects the holy cities of Katra and Amritsar.
  • Katra- Delhi Express Road Corridor will also offer connectivity for some other major important religious shrines between the two destinations. 
  • Delhi Express Road Corridor is estimated to cost over INR 35,000 crores.
  • The important cities through which this Expressway Corridor will pass include Jammu and Kathua in J&K, and Jalandhar, Amritsar, Kapurthala, and Ludhiana in Punjab.
  • The corridor will be functional by 2023. 
  • Dr. Jitendra Singh, who is a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) representing Katra Vaishno Devi, had been pursuing this project since 2015.

Earlier, it was reported that the survey for the construction of a 575-km-long express road corridor connecting the holy town of Katra with the national capital via Amritsar has been completed.