Major connectivity boost, Nitin Gadkari dedicates Jammu and Kashmir its first inter-state bridge

Srinagar, January 22: Giving a huge thrust to connectivity in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the 1.2 km long inter-state Keediyan- Gandiyal Bridge will link the secluded areas of Kathua district to the state of Punjab. The bridge will strengthen the inter-state connectivity and will provide a boost to the social as well as economical development of the people living in the adjoining areas of the state.

 

Dedicating the bridge to the nation, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted the benefits of the bridge to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. In an attempt to connect the adjoining major cities, the bridge will enhance the economic development and will also reduce the travel distance between the two inter-state destinations of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

 

At the same time, the bridge will also reduce traffic on the Jammu-Kathua-Pathankot National Highway. Easing out traffic on the national highway will help in decongesting the area, hence making it easy for commuters to travel from one place to another, through the highway. Speaking at the event, Gadkari said that the inter-state bridge has been built at a cost of around Rs 158 crore in a span of three and a half years to boost inter-state connectivity. The landmark bridge will link the secluded areas of Kathua district with the state of Punjab.

The government said the national highway network in Jammu and Kashmir had seen an increase of 969 km in the last four years with the total length rising from 1,695 km in 2014 to 2,664 km in 2018.

Earlier, two major road corridors were being built in J&K that is Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Leh. The Chenani-Nashri tunnel road under the first is the largest highway tunnel in the country. It has resulted in reducing the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by two and a half hours, while the distance between the two has come down by 30 km.