SRINAGAR: The entire 144-kilometre stretch of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway in Jammu and Kashmir will be completed by the end of March next year, and three packages are expected to be ready by the end of September this year.
This information was provided in the Lok Sabha by Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari in response to a query on the timeline for the expressway’s full completion. He said the expressway consists of 18 packages, with five in Haryana, eight in Punjab, and five in Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, three spur routes—all in Punjab—are part of the project.
In Jammu and Kashmir, work is progressing on all five packages, spanning 144 kilometres. These will be completed on different dates—three within the current year and the remaining two before March 31, 2026.
The first two packages, measuring 44.6 kilometres and 35.15 kilometres, were awarded in December 2021, with work commencing in September 2022. One of these will be completed in July this year, while the second is expected to be ready by September 2025. The third package, covering 20.38 kilometres, was awarded in October 2021, and its construction, which began in September 2022, is also set for completion by September this year.
The fourth package, covering 28.92 kilometres, was awarded in August 2022, with construction beginning in June 2023. It is expected to be completed by February 2026. The final package, spanning 15.3 kilometres, was awarded in March 2023, with construction starting in November 2023. It is scheduled for completion by March 2026.
Gadkari also informed Parliament that four of the five packages in Haryana have been provisionally completed, while work continues on the final one. In Punjab, one package is complete, with seven under construction. Meanwhile, two of the three planned spur routes are being built, while work on the third is pending due to land acquisition issues.
When asked whether there was any proposal to exempt vehicles registered in districts through which the expressway passes from toll charges, Gadkari stated that toll fees are collected under the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. He clarified that there is no provision for district-wide exemptions and no such proposal is under consideration. Similarly, he confirmed that there are no plans for special toll rates or exemptions for electric vehicles using the expressway.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for two packages of the expressway, covering 44.22 kilometres, on February 20, 2024. On the occasion, he highlighted the expressway’s role in facilitating pilgrimages to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and promoting economic development in the region. -(KL)
