Jammu : Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the first phase of the Jammu ring road project on Friday, two years after its foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The foundation stone for the 58.25 km-long Jammu ring road, the estimated cost of which was Rs 1,339 crore, was laid by Modi on May 19, 2018.
Sinha flanked by Union minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated an 8 km stretch of road from Akhnoor to Kot Bhalwal in the outskirts of Jammu city.
“It is a moment of great pride for me to inaugurate the first phase of the Jammu Ring Road project, the foundation stone of which was laid by the prime minister in 2018,” he said, adding that it was a matter of happiness for the people of Jammu.
Sinha said that in the last six years not only the country’s political situation has changed but the work culture has changed as well. He told the officials that if the project gets completed before time, a provision to give incentives can be formulated.
Meanwhile, an official said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was constructing the Jammu Ring Road from Raya Morh.
The road is being constructed by EPC Contractors Gayatri-KMB JV appointed by NHAI and the work started in 2018.
“This section is the first phase of the ring road to be opened for public. It will significantly reduce the time for people travelling between the northern parts of Jammu to Akhnoor, Rajouri, Poonch and Kashmir,” the NHAI officer said.
He said that the Jammu Ring Road will decongest Jammu city and added that it is a project of national importance under the Bharat Mala Parriyojna.
The ring road bypass around Jammu city has six phases which includes the first phase from Bhalwal connecting to Kangrail (Akhnoor road-Bhalwal road). The second phase is from Mandal to Nikki Tawi-Sohanjana-Brahmili-Waddi Tawi and the third phase is from Bari Brahmana which connects to Raya Morh, Sarore, Bishnah and Kunjwani.
The fourth phase is from Bishnah and R S Pura, and it connects Muralia, R S Pura, Miran Sahib and Lalyal. The fifth phase is from Jammu North and Nagrota and it connects Bhalwal, Kheri, Jagti and Nagrota, and the sixth phase is from Marh and it connects Waddi Tawi, Ghomanashah, Galwaday Chak, Channu Chak, Jheri Road, Kangrail-Akhnoo Road.
‘Despite delay due to COVID-19, Jammu Ring Road project likely to meet Dec 2021 deadline’
Jammu: The Jammu Ring Road project is likely to meet its December 2021 deadline despite suspension of work for over three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said on Friday.
The agency constructing the road has already mobilised its workforce and machinery, the official said.
The first phase of project was proposed to be inaugurated by March but the emergence of a challenging situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced suspension of work for over three months, he said.
The official, however, said that the construction agency, Messrs Gayatri-KMB-JV, resumed work on the project in June and has engaged additional manpower besides ensuring double shifts to make up for lost time.
“Efforts are being made to complete the remaining work (on Phase-1) in two months to bringing the project back on the original completion schedule for the remaining five phases; and completing the entire Jammu Ring Road project by December 2021,” he said.
The official said that the completion of the eight-km first phase would minimise traffic congestion on the Akhnoor Road, the Kangrail Road and Beda Morh by connecting Bhalwal to the Akhnoor Road on NH–144A, besides other interior roads.
The phase has one major bridge, six minor bridges, 22 culverts, three major crossings, a six-kilometre rigid pavement and a two-km flexible pavement, besides plantation, he said.
The four-laning standalone ring road under the National Highway Development Project starts at Raya Morh in Samba district and ends at Jagati on NH-44 covering 58.255 km after passing through villages like Sarore, Bishnah, R S Pura, Marh, Ghomanasa, Akhnoor, Bhalwal, the official said.
The bypass around Jammu city has been planned keeping in view the increase in population in and around it and increase in the number of vehicles, he said.
Traffic congestion has been further aggravated with frequent movement of security forces to border areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Nowshera, Akhnoor and other areas through the busy roads of Jammu city, according to the official.
The entire project includes construction of eight major bridges, 31 minor bridges, four viaducts, six flyovers, two interchanges, 219 culverts, one vehicular underpass, 15 pedestrian and cattle passes, 22 bus bays, six truck lay byes, two tunnels, 14.46-km of services roads and a toll plaza, he said.
The ring road will cover a total of 60 villages, 54 in Jammu district and six in Samba district, the official said.
The road will have 47.34-km of rigid pavement and 10.98-km of flexible pavement besides avenue plantation and median plantation, he said.
