On Monday, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari examined the ongoing construction progress of the Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway. This 917-kilometer-long, 6-lane access-controlled greenfield corridor, costing Rs 22,500 crore, will link Amritsar, Bhatinda, and Jamnagar. The project is expected to be finalized by September 2023, providing significant benefits to Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat.
Nitin Gadkari personally inspected the expressway in Rajasthan, which will enhance connectivity between northern and central India. Once completed, it will enable seamless travel from northern states to the ports of Jamnagar and Kandla in Gujarat.
Under the Bharat Mala project, this expressway will significantly reduce travel time between major cities in the future. For instance, the journey from Amritsar to Jamnagar, which currently takes 23 hours, will be reduced to just 12 hours. The Greenfield Expressway traverses through 15 districts in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
This corridor will connect three of India’s refineries: Bhatinda Refinery in Punjab, Barmer Refinery in Rajasthan, and Jamnagar Refinery in Gujarat.
In Rajasthan, 93 percent of the work on the 637-kilometer-long expressway has been completed at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore. Additionally, 155 kilometers of the corridor will be constructed in Punjab and 125 kilometers in Gujarat. The 6-lane highway is designed for a top speed of 100 kmph, with the potential for expansion to 10 lanes in the future.
The Amritsar-Jamnagar greenfield corridor will intersect with the Delhi-Katra Expressway near Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district, providing convenient access for travelers from Rajasthan to the Vaishno Devi shrine.
To connect Ludhiana with the Amritsar-Jamnagar corridor, a 75-kilometer-long, 4-lane Ludhiana-Bhatinda greenfield highway is being constructed at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore. This highway will facilitate connectivity between major cities in Rajasthan and the industrial hub of Ludhiana in Punjab.
The expressway will feature approximately 32 side-way facilities, including helipads, hotels, restaurants, petrol pumps, EV charging stations, and essential goods shops. These amenities will enhance the overall travel experience for commuters.