Jammu: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari Sunday, while sharing a sneak-peek about the latest status of the project, stated that the uni-directional Khellani tunnel in J&K was being upgraded into a two-lane structure.
While announcing this on social platform ‘X’ (previously called Twitter) with a splash of photographs, Gadkari asserted that the project (upgraded tunnel) would ensure year-round accessibility, which would boost local economy and thus benefit residents of the region.
Crediting the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for development-oriented guidance, the Union Minister said that the project was dedicated to “environmentally conscious mobility” in J&K.
“In Jammu & Kashmir, we are upgrading the Uni-Directional Khellani Tunnel into a 2-lane structure, incorporating a paved shoulder and improving its approach road on NH-244. The entire length of this project spans 2.419 kilometers and falls within Package 3. The upgraded tunnel is set to ensure year-round accessibility, a development that will significantly benefit the local economy and the residents of the region,” Gadkari tweeted.
“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji, this ambitious project is dedicated to achieving expeditious, trouble-free, and environmentally conscious mobility in the Jammu and Kashmir region,” he added.
Earlier on March 4, 2023, NHIDCL had announced the completion of excavation of the first tube of Khellani tunnel in Doda district. According to NHIDCL, the 1.574 km-tunnel, which started on March 25, 2021 and anticipated to be completed this year only, was crucial for the Sudhmahadev-Khambal project. Once completed, the project, costing over Rs 431 Cr, would reduce distance between Doda and Kishtwar districts by 30 kms.
Union Minister’s tweets today followed NHIDCL’s tweet with pictures updating the status of the upgradation to 2-lane with paved shoulder New Thathri on Chenani-Sudhmahadev-Goha Khellani-Kishtwar-Vailoo Donipora-Ashajipora Section under Package-2.
National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), in the morning, had tweeted, “The construction & Upgradation to 2-lane with paved shoulder from Design Ch(ainage) Km 51.700 to Km 66.535 New Thatri on Chenani-Sudhmahadev-Goha Khellani-Kishtwar-Vailoo Donipora-Ashajipora Section under Package-2 is under progress by #NHIDCL #Jammu&Kashmir #BuildingInfrastructure#BuildingThe Nation.”
As per NHIDCL projects status report, the projects presently under way on National Highway 244 also included widening and up-gradation to 2 lane with paved shoulder configuration and geometric improvement from km 0.000 to km 16.990 (Phase-I) on Chenani – Sudhmahadev section of NH-244; up-gradation to 2-lane with paved shoulder from Km 12.850 to Km 20.300 of 7.450 km length on Goha-Khellani section and a link road to Goha village of 2.016 km on NH-244 (Package I); up-gradation to 2-lane with paved shoulder from km 20.300 to Km 29.030 of 8.730 Km length on Goha-Khellani section on NH-244 (Package II); up-gradation to 2-lane with paved shoulder from Km 29.030 to Km 31.449 of 2.419 Km length of Uni-Directional (1.574 Km) Khellani Tunnel including its approach road on NH-244 (Package III) (about which the Union Minister tweeted); construction of Bi-directional Tunnel at Km 83 of Length 495 m including approach road of 664 m and a major Bridge of 110 m from Km 82.675 to Km 82.925 on NH244 on EPC basis (Khellani-Kishtwar); construction and upgradation to 2 lane with paved shoulder from Design Km 31.449 (Khellani) (Ex. Km 44.946) to Km 51.700 (Prem Nagar) (Ex. Km 68+617) of 20.251 Km length on Khellani-Kishtwar-Chatroo section (PKG- 1) and construction & Upgradation to 2-lane with paved shoulder from Design Ch. Km 51.700 (at Premnagar km 66.315) to Km 66.535 New Thathri (at Start of Km 83rd, Tunnel Km 82.665) of 14.835 Km design length on Chenani-Sudhmahadev-Goha Khellani-Kishtwar-Vailoo Donipawa-Ashajipora Section (Pkg - 2) (about which NHIDCL tweeted).
Projects related to Chenani-Sudhmahadev Road; Goha-Khellani Package 1 and 2; Goha-Khellani Package 3 that is Khellani tunnel and Khellani-Khanabal package-2, all fall in Udhampur-Doda-Kathua constituency.
