Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, has sanctioned mega highway projects across various states. This includes four-laning of the existing two-lane road from Ghoman to Tanda with a budget of Rs 818 crore in the State of Punjab. The work of rehabilitation and upgradation to two-lane with paved shoulder from the existing including the construction of Bhimber Gali Tunnel under 31 TF on Akhnoor-Poonch Road (NH-144A) has been sanctioned in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir with a budget of Rs 734.64 crore. Apart from this, two projects have been approved under Bharatmala Pariyojana with a budget of Rs 2,208.68 crore in Maharashtra; and development work of Jakh (Vijaypur)-Kunjwani section of NH-44 to six-lane expressway including the development of Kunjwani to fourth Tawi bridge section of NH-144A at budget of Rs 1,821.72 crore in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Centre has also cleared widening and improvement work for four lanes with paved shoulder of Kwaram Taro village-Dillai section of NH-29 with a budget of Rs 625.64 crore in Assam. The construction work of a new two-lane bridge has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 746.76 crore in Assam. Moreover, the construction work of two-lane with paved shoulder road from Temenglong to Mahur (NH-137) near Jiri river has been sanctioned with a budget of Rs 311.18 crore; and work of two lanes with paved shoulder road from Tamenglong to Mahur has been sanctioned with a budget of Rs 477.86 crore in the State of Manipur.
Apart from this, construction work of two-lane with the hard shoulder of Ukhrul-Toloi-Tadubi section of NH-102A has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 315.56 crore in Manipur, while the work of widening to two-lane with the hard shoulder of Ukhrul-Toloi-Tadubi section of NH-102A has been sanctioned with a budget of Rs 310.76 crore. The revised cost estimate proposals of NHAI for four-laning of Chutmalpur-Ganeshpur section of NH-72A and Roorkee-Chutmalpur-Gangalheri section of NH-73 has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 1,214.75 crore in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The Centre has also approved four-laning of Rampur-Kathgodam section of NH-87 with a budget of Rs 579.51 crore in Uttar Pradesh, as per reports.