Friday, 28 JUNE 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met the Union minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari in the national Capital on Thursday and sought action on various important road projects in the State. Dhami sought a notification on the approval in principle granted in 2016 for upgrading six roads in the State to national highways. These include Khairna-Ranikhet, Buakhal-Devprayag, Devprayag-Gaja-Khadi, Pandukhal Nagchulakhal-Baijron, Biharigarh-Roshnabad and Lakshmanjhula-Dugadda-Mohaan-Ranikhet roads. He also requested that the 256.90 kilometre Khairna-Ranikhet-Bhatronjkhan-Bhikiyasain-Deghat-Mahalchauri-Nagchulakhal-Bungidhar-Bainjro road which connects Garhwal and Kumaon should also be notified as a national highway. Dhami said that notifying this road as a national highway will enhance tourism activities in Kumaon and Garhwal regions while also facilitating economic development in the region. This road will also link four Vidhan Sabha constituencies including Nainital, Ranikhet, Salt, Karnprayag and Thalisain. The CM also requested Gadkari to notify the 189 kilometre long Kathgodam-Bhimtal-Dhanachuli-Mornaula-Khetikhan-Lohaghat-Pancheshwar motor road as a national highway.
Seeking Gadkari’s action in another important plan, Dhami requested that the stretch from the Mohkampur ROB to Ajabpur ROB (Vidhan Sabha Chowk to Mohkampur) should be converted into an elevated road. He said that this project is estimated to cost Rs 452 crore. This project should be included in the annual plan for 2024-25, Dhami said. He said that the construction of the 51.59 kilometre Dehradun ring road is proposed considering the rising load of vehicles in Dehradun city. The NHAI is currently undertaking the work with the construction of a 12-kilometre four-lane road from Asharodi to Jhajhra underway. The alignment of the remaining work and preparation of the detailed project report is being undertaken. Seeking approval for the remaining works, Dhami also sought approval from Gadkari for the 17.88 kilometre Rishikesh bypass road estimated to cost Rs 1,432 crore. The Union minister gave his assent to these proposals.
Informing Gadkari about the rising traffic load between Dehradun and Mussoorie, Dhami also sought approval for the connectivity of the 40-kilometre Dehradun-Mussoorie road, stating that this will help in providing additional connectivity between the two cities. In addition to the Delhi-Dehradun expressway, the traffic from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and other places will be able to use this road to reach Mussoorie without entering Dehradun, preventing unnecessary congestion in the provisional State capital. The CM also sought the Union minister’s approval and cooperation for various other road projects in different parts of the State during their meeting.
