Centre approves Rs 267 crore boost for various road projects in Himachal: Vikramaditya

Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh announced today that the Union Government has sanctioned Rs 267 crore for various projects in Himachal Pradesh, including national highways. The state had submitted a total capital expenditure request of Rs 1,400 crore for the financial year 2025-26, and Rs 267 crore has been released in the first phase.

Singh expressed his gratitude to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for sanctioning the funds. He had personally raised the matter with Gadkari on multiple occasions to expedite approvals and fund allocations.

He said the alignment work for the Jalori Jot tunnel has been completed, and a detailed project report worth Rs 1,452 crore is being prepared. The tunnel will have a total length of 4.156 km and is expected to be finalised within this financial year.

He added that the approved projects include the construction of three bridges each in Chamba and Una districts. Additionally, Rs 54.37 crore has been allocated for landslide mitigation on the Nigulsari-Nathpa road, and Rs 40.85 crore for landslide mitigation near the Keru bridge on the Katori Bangra-Banikhet-Chamba-Bharmour road.

An amount of Rs 48 crore has been approved for land acquisition and widening the road to two lanes near the Bhatti Nala bridge. In Una district, Rs 24.27 crore has been sanctioned for the preparation of a detailed project report for the construction of two bridges over Barna and Bore Wali Khad. Apart from this, Rs 36.93 crore has been allocated for the construction of a bridge over the Swan river.

Additionally, funds have been sanctioned for various maintenance and repair works, including the upkeep of the Kalka-Shimla-Wangtu road passing through the Theog bypass, strengthening of the Dhalli-Theog-Narkanda-Rampur road, repairs at vulnerable locations on the Saij-Luhri-Aut road and metalling, tarring and culvert construction on different roads.