PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami strongly advocated for the proposed road infrastructure projects in the State during the review meeting of the National Highway projects at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Monday. The meeting was chaired by the union minister of Road Transport and Highways. In the meeting, CM Dhami raised many important issues related to the NHs and proposals for construction of Rishikesh bypass, Almora-Danya-Panar-Ghat road, Jeolikot-Khairna-Gairsain-Karnaprayag road and Almora-Bageshwar-Kanda-Udiari Band road. It was informed in the meeting that under the Rishikesh Bypass Project, a 12.67-km long four-lane bypass from Teenpani to Kharasrot via Yoganagari on National Highway 7, is proposed. The Rs 1,161.27 crore project includes a 4.876 km elevated road for three elephant corridors, a 200 metre bridge over the Chandrabhaga river and a 76 metre railway over bridge. A 76 metre long ROB is also proposed at the Shyampur railway crossing. Addressing the meeting, Dhami said that significant progress has been made in developing road infrastructure in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand’s roads are empowering not only pilgrimage and tourism, but also industry, border security, disaster management and the local economy. This transformation is not merely the result of road construction, but of visionary leadership and a clear vision, he said. He said that to ensure safe pilgrimages to the Chardham Yatra, the Chardham Highway project, costing Rs 12,769 crore, has been approved. Uttarakhand has a 3,723-kilometre NH network. Construction work is underway on approximately 193 km of roads, estimated to cost over Rs 15,890 crore. These projects will connect religious, urban and industrial centres such as Haridwar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Rudrapur, Kashipur, Haldwani, and Kathgodam. Four-lane corridors like Kashipur-Sitarganj (77 km), Rudrapur-Kathgodam (50 km) and Haridwar-Nagina (67 km) have significantly improved access to industrial areas, agricultural markets and tourist destinations. The CM said that a six-lane, 30 km long access-controlled highway has been developed in the Ganeshpur-Dehradun section under the Delhi- Dehradun expressway. He said that the projects such as the Dehradun bypass (12 km) and Haridwar bypass (15 km) will be effective in reducing traffic congestion in urban areas. “With road safety as a top priority, the State is implementing black spot improvements, access control at critical junctions, effective signage and modern road safety measures. Operation and maintenance projects in mountainous areas are being implemented to ensure safe and smooth roads round the year,’’ he said. Dhami said that in view of future needs, projects such as the Mussoorie-Dehradun connectivity (40 km, Rs 4,000 crore), the Haridwar-Haldwani high-speed Corridor (197 km, Rs 10,000 crore), the Rishikesh bypass (13 km, Rs 1,200 crore), the Dehradun Ring road and the Lalkuan-Haldwani-Kathgodam bypass are in pipeline. These will provide new impetus to the connectivity between the Garhwal and Kumaon regions. Union minister Gadkari assured the CM that appropriate action would be taken on the proposals submitted by him. He directed officials to expedite the completion of ongoing projects in the state within the stipulated time frame while maintaining quality. Union minister of State Ajay Tamta and Harsh Malhotra and senior officers of the departments concerned attended the meeting.
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