Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway to Reduce Travel Time Significantly

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inspected the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway project in Amritsar on Thursday. The 669-kilometer expressway is being built at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore and is expected to reduce travel time from Delhi to Amritsar to four hours and from Delhi to Katra to six hours.

Reducing Distance and Travel Time

The expressway will reduce the distance between Delhi and Katra by 58 kilometers. Currently, the distance between the two cities is 727 km. The expressway will pass through industrial areas like Patiala, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Gurdaspur in Punjab.

Key Features of the Expressway

One of the special features of the expressway will be Asia's longest 1,300-meter cable-stayed bridge over the Beas river. The expressway will also connect major religious places like the Golden Temple, Sultanpur Lodhi Gurdwara in Kapurthala district, Goindwal Sahib Gurdwara, Khandur Sahib Gurdwara, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran as well as the popular Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu.

Economic Benefits

The expressway is expected to give a major fillip to the economic activity in the region and open new vistas of employment for the youth. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who was also present during the inspection, said that the expressway will be a harbinger of a new era of unprecedented development and prosperity in the state.

Government Support

The state government has already extended its support to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the completion of the project. The project is expected to boost trade and commerce in the state and improve transportation.

The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway is a major infrastructure project that will improve connectivity and reduce travel time between the two cities. The expressway is expected to have a significant impact on the economic development of the region and provide much-needed employment opportunities for the youth.