After inordinate delay by the J&K government, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has stepped in to take over the construction of proposed three-grade separators along Bypass here at an estimated cost of Rs 135 crore.
The move has come after the central government approved Rs 574.16 crore annual plan 2020-21 for national highway works in J&K.
The major works to be undertaken under the plan include construction of 3.23 km three flyovers in Srinagar on NH-44 (Jammu-Srinagar highway) at Bemina, Sanat Nagar and Nowgam at a cost of Rs 135 crore.
The NHAI has submitted a detailed project report to Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highway which is likely to give the sanction to the project soon.
The three grade separators along the national highway are proposed to be constructed at busy junctions at Sanat Nagar, Nowgam and Bemina.
The project was earlier to be funded by the Asian Development Bank. However, so far there has not been any forward movement with regard to it. These junctions witness heavy traffic congestions.
Executive Engineer, NHAI, Javid Ahmad said they have finalized the DPRs and are hopeful that by the beginning of the next year the project will get a nod from MORTH which is going to fund the construction of three grade separators.
“The estimated cost of this project is Rs 135 crore and it would be a great help easing the traffic congestion at these designated points,” he added.
The construction of grade separators as per the engineers is the only viable solution to ease the traffic congestion at these junctions particularly at Sanat Nagar crossing.
Sanat Nagar crossing has now become an unbearable inconvenience for the commuters, who get stuck up in the jam for hours, leaving them exhausted in desperation to reach their respective destinations in time.
The problem gets amplified by the haphazardly parked cars outside food joints, bakery shops and departmental stores on the southern side of the bypass.
The road corridor witnesses huge numbers of vehicles coming from northern and southern parts of Kashmir.
“It also witnesses frequent movement of security personnel vehicles. For passage of these vehicles, the civilian traffic movement is often stopped for half an hour or so,” locals said.
They said that the high vehicular and pedestrian movement act as barriers to redevelopment and growth of the area.
The proposed project is part of a long term plan of the J&K government to improve urban transport facilities in the summer capital.
As per the proposal, the construction shall remove traffic congestion along the highway and also decrease the number of road accidents frequently witnessed on the important road corridor.