Srinagar, June 9: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday announced a massive infrastructure push for Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, unveiling a series of road, tunnel, and highway projects aimed at transforming connectivity, boosting tourism, and strengthening strategic access across the union Territories.

Speaking after the breakthrough in the strategically important Zojila Tunnel project on the Srinagar-Leh highway, Gadkari said the Centre is executing projects worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crore in Jammu and Kashmir, with several nearing completion and many new corridors and tunnels set to begin soon.
He said the Zojila Tunnel breakthrough marked a historic milestone as the excavation work connected Baltal in Kashmir with Minimarg in Ladakh for the first time, paving the way for all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh.
Highlighting ongoing projects, Gadkari said the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar four-lane highway project, worth Rs 16,000 crore, is 95 per cent complete and the remaining work will be finished by December 2027. He said the highway includes 25 tunnels, of which 20 have already been completed, reducing travel time between Jammu and Srinagar from nine hours to nearly four hours.
“After completion of the remaining five tunnels, the journey is expected to take only three hours,” he said.
The Minister also announced the Katra-Srinagar four-lane high-speed corridor worth Rs 12,000 crore, saying it would significantly improve connectivity between Delhi and Kashmir and cut travel time from Katra to Srinagar to around three hours.
Among the major upcoming projects announced for Kashmir was the Rafiabad-Kupwara-Chowkibal-Tangdhar two-lane road project worth Rs 5,700 crore, expected to benefit apple growers and border residents. Gadkari said the 113-km project would be awarded by March 2027.
He also announced the Srinagar-Qazigund service road, along with nine underpasses worth Rs 1,100 crore, while the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri two-lane road project, worth Rs 1,500 crore, will improve access to Sonamarg and Ladakh and reduce travel time considerably.
The Minister said work on the Srinagar Ring Road, worth Rs 7,200 crore, is progressing rapidly, with Phase-I scheduled for completion in October. He said the project would ease urban congestion and improve connectivity to Srinagar airport and railway station.
Gadkari further announced a Rs 7,500 crore Samba-Mansar-Udhampur four-lane corridor to decongest traffic heading towards Punjab and Jammu, besides approving an elevated road project in Kathua worth Rs 150 crore.
He said the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway, worth Rs 41,000 crore, is also nearing completion and will further integrate Jammu and Kashmir with the national highway network, boosting trade, tourism and economic growth across the region.
Gadkari said the Centre has approved a 48-km south bypass for Leh worth Rs 1,000 crore. He said the project will begin within six months and will help decongest Leh city by diverting vehicles travelling towards Srinagar and Manali.
He also announced a north bypass project for Leh, saying the DPR is in the final stage and work will begin soon.
Among the key projects announced was the 2.6-km Fatula twin-tube tunnel worth Rs 1,200 crore, which will be tendered shortly and construction will begin within the next three months. Gadkari said the tunnel will ensure all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil, and Leh while reducing the distance by 8.5 km.
The Minister further said the DPR for the 8.5-km Kela Pass tunnel worth Rs 3,500 crore is in the final stage and the project will be tendered before March next year. The tunnel is expected to provide all-weather connectivity for tourists travelling from Leh to Pangong and Tangtse.
To strengthen connectivity between Manali and Leh, Gadkari announced several tunnel projects on the Manali-Leh axis. He said the 13-km Baralachala tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, estimated at Rs 8,800 crore, will have its DPR tendered by October 2026.
He also announced the 11-km Lachungla tunnel in Ladakh, worth Rs 4,500 crore, whose DPR will be tendered before March, and the 5-km Long Long tunnel worth Rs 2,250 crore, expected to be tendered before December 2026.
Gadkari said these projects will significantly improve connectivity between Manali and Leh, reduce the distance by nearly 50 km, and cut travel time from around 10 hours to nearly six hours.