Government plans alternate highway

Jammu and Kashmir Roads and Buildings Minister,G M Saroori,said that the work has been started to compile project report of the road and the government will get it constructed through the Jammu and Kashmir bank. “The construction of the road will be done on the built,operate and transfer mode (BOOT). In this we plan to draw in the Jammu and Kashmir bank to construct the road which will get it done through some reputed construction companies. The bank will build the road and then operate it for a specified period of time to recover the money in the form of tax.”

From the road,Roads and Buildings Minister said,the Jammu and Kashmir bank will be able to recover the money which it has spent in a time of 30 years.

State government officials said that earlier Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah,in a meeting of Roads and Buildlings (R&B) department stressed on the beginning of the work at the earliest on the road which will be third alternate source of road connectivity to Kashmir Valley.

As of now the main national highway NHIA is the only road connection between Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country as the work over the Mughal road connecting Poonch and Rajouri district with Kashmir Valley was still in progress.

However the Chattru- Srinagar highway will be free from the trouble of shooting stones and frequent road blockades and the 4.5 km long tunnel which is being constructed for the road will also be at a lower height than the Jawahar tunnel falling along the NHIA road network.

“The 4.5 km long tunnel which is being constructed at the road will be at the height of only 6,000 feet and will be at a lesser height than the Jawahar tunnel which makes the travel along the route much safer,’’ said,Jammu and Kashmir Roads and Buildings Minister.

He also added that the road will remain open through the year and will also help in the promotion of the tourism of the areas of Doda,Kishtawar and Ramban.