Amid Delay In Kashmir Train, Focus On Jammu-Srinagar National Highway For Now
Jammu: Since there has been no fixed timeline for starting the commercial train service to Kashmir, the current focus is back on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH-44), which is the only lifeline for commuting for people of Kashmir valley.
Though the significant work on a major portion of NH-44 has been completed and within six hours people can commute between the capital cities, the remaining work may take an additional 12 to 24 months to complete as per officials.
At present, vehicles have to pass through the old route from Marog up to Khooni Nallah and work on around five-kilometre stretch ahead of Ramsu is yet to be completed, which leads to slow movement of vehicles leading to traffic gridlocks at times.
To make the journey more comfortable, two tunnels are under construction between Marog and Khooni Nallah in Ramban district even as a flyover is being constructed to make the highway four-lane ahead of Ramsoo.
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) project Director Ramban, Parshottam Kumar said, “We hope that by the end of 2025, a tunnel between Digdol and Khooni Nallah is completed whereas from Marog to Digdol, the construction is expected to be completed by December 2026.”
“As far as the stretch ahead of Ramsu is concerned, the foundation of flyovers is under construction and if everything goes as per plan, by June 2026, it will also be completed,” the project director said.
The NHAI has given a new shape to the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the past few years and the travel time has been reduced to six hours at present. Earlier, in case of traffic jams, people used to get stuck for hours together and at times the journey lasted for more than 24 hours.
Notable work which the NHAI has completed on the highway includes the construction of a nine-kilometre-long Chenani-Nashri tunnel, 8.5-kilometre-long Navyug tunnel between Banihal and Qazigund, two flyovers bypassing Ramban and Banihal towns and several small tunnels on the mountainous stretch between Ramban and Banihal.
Moreover, the other surface route to Kashmir Valley, the Mughal road from the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch and Sinthan Pass from Kishtwar district continue to remain closed due to the accumulation of snow and the NH-44 is the only land route available during winter to commute.
Now, once the remaining work on two tunnels and a flyover is completed, travel time between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced to only four hours and it will become an all-weather road as well.
(Courtesy: ETV Bharat)
