Rs. 550 crore sanctioned for Jaipur-Delhi national highway.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has sanctioned Rs.550 crore for development and repair works on the Jaipur-Delhi national highway which forms a crucial part of the golden quadrilateral and has seen an immense increase in industrial activities over the past few years.

In another key decision, the Ministry has given a go-ahead for construction of service roads of of 440 km adjacent to the national highway, as several industrial zones, universities and townships have come up along the road.

The decisions were announced in New Delhi on Tuesday after a high-level meeting of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari with the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore, who is a Lok Sabha MP from the Jaipur Rural constituency.

While the work on construction of service lanes will be completed by December this year, the work on the Shahpura-Paota flyover has started.

In order to reduce road accidents, 20 foot overbridges would be constructed across the highway, Col. Rathore said in a statement. Besides, parking for trucks will be constructed at Shahapura to reduce congestion on the highway and other issues, such as drainage, main carriageway and crush barriers will also be explored for ensuring free flow of traffic.

Col. Rathore said the National Highway No. 8 was the “lifeline of Rajasthan” and was especially critical for the rural area of Jaipur district. “The current steps will lead to great improvements in the quality of life in the region and give a fillip to economic activities in the area,” he said.

Apart from the two Ministers, the meeting was attended by senior officers of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways along with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officers and other stakeholders, including the bank officials and contractors.

THE HINDU