Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Chenab bridge and visit the bridge deck and will also lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore on June 6 at Katra in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
It will be PM Modi’s first visit to J&K after May 11 Operation Sindoor launched by Indian military to avenge April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
PM Modi will visit and inaugurate the Anji bridge and flag off Vande Bharat trains.
He will also dedicate the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project to the nation.
The 272-km long USBRL project, built with around Rs 43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges.
The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration.
The Prime Minister will also flag off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar and back.
In a major boost to last-mile connectivity especially in border areas, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various road projects.
He will lay the foundation stone for the road widening project from Rafiabad to Kupwara on National Highway-701 and the construction of Shopian bypass road on NH-444 worth over Rs 1,952 crore.
He will also inaugurate two flyover projects at Sangrama Junction on National Highway-1 in Srinagar and at Bemina Junction on National Highway-44.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra worth over Rs 350 crore. It will be the first medical college in Reasi district contributing substantially to the healthcare infrastructure in the region.
Chenab Rail Bridge, the architectural marvel, situated at a height of 359 meters above the river, is the world's highest railway arch bridge.
It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. A key impact of the bridge will be in enhancing connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar.
Through Vande Bharat train moving on the bridge, it will take about 3 hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing existing travel time by 2-3 hours.
The Anji Bridge is India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge that will serve the nation in a challenging terrain, it said.