50% construction work completed on 4-lane Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur corridor Highway

New Delhi, July 14 (Punjab Post Bureau) – The construction work on a four-lane Highway connecting Dera Baba Nanak from Gurdaspur-Amritsar Highway to International border is progressing in full swing. The 4.19 km long Highway is being builtat a cost of Rs 120 crores.

            The Government of India approved development of Karatarpur Sahib Corridor project on 22.11.2018 and the foundation stone was laid by Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu on 26.11.2018. The land acquisition process for the project was initiated on 14.01.2019 and concluded on 21.05.2019.

            So far, 50% of the project work has been completed and the Highway would be completed by September 30, 2019. The substructure construction work of the bridge i.e. piling, pile caps has been completed on the Indian side. Piers and Piers caps casting work is under progress along with girder casting work.

            So far three technical level talks have been held with the Pakistani technical team to discuss issues related to this project such as zero point coordinates, finished road level, width of bridge at zero point etc. The Pakistan Authorities were apprised that India is constructing a bridge at the Ravi Creek on Indian side of International Border and requested Pakistan side to also construct a bridge on Budhi Ravi Channel on their side.

But Pakistan side initially proposed road on embankment and later on proposed causeway. Both these options are not acceptable as there will be danger to habitationson the Indian side in case of flood, and also the road will not be all weather.