PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Public Works minister Satpal Maharaj has said that the total length of roads in the State in 2000 was 15,470 kilometres which has now increased to 43,765 kilometres. He said that the government has taken a target to convert 1,469 kilometres of Kuchha road to metal roads and 1,469 kilometres of single lane national highways to double lane highways. The minister said that in the next 25 years bypasses will be constructed in all the major cities and towns. He claimed that the PWD is working on ‘Vision 2050’ under which the roads connecting the ancient 16 temples under Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission will be broadened and strengthened. The minister added that 460 old class B loading bridges will be upgraded to class A modern bridges. He said that many important state highways will be broadened and crash barriers and parapets will be constructed on all the State highways. Maharaj said that in the year 2000 at the time of creation of the State 10,048 were connected with roads the number of which now has increased to 14,027. The number of foot over-bridges in the State has increased to 1,303 while the number of motor bridges has increased to 2,270 in the last 25 years.
He said that to make the road connectivity to Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route, an Rs 12,469 crore all-weather road project was initiated in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The minister informed that bypasses have been constructed at Nainital, Rudraprayag, Kashipur and Haldwani cities to ease the traffic load on main roads while work on Kainchi Dham, Champawat, Haridwar and Rudrapur bypasses is underway.
