New Delhi: The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for 31 projects worth Rs 13,296 crore in Jharkhand today. The Union minister is expected to arrive in Ranchi at around 12:30 pm and head to Jamshedpur, as per PTI.
Gadkari is also scheduled to address a BJP rally at Gopal Maidan in the afternoon.
Of the 31 projects, 21 pertain to the state capital Ranchi, entailing an estimated investment of Rs 9,453 crore, and nine to Jamshedpur at a cost of Rs 3,378 crore.
A 44 km stretch between Jamshedpur and Mahulta on the National Highway 33, which was constructed at a cost of Rs 465 crore, will be dedicated to the nation, an official said, as quoted by PTI.
"This stretch will provide Delhi-Kolkata and Mumbai-Kolkata connectivity via Jamshedpur, significantly reducing travel time,” National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chief General Manager S K Mishra told PTI. The project will also drive commercial development in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, he added.
In addition to these, Gadkari will also lay the foundation stone for a four-lane double-decker elevated corridor on NH-33, connecting Kali Mandi, Dimna Chowk, and Baliguma in Jamshedpur, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,876 crore, reducing the traffic burden on Steel City.
On the Raipur-Dhanbad Economic Corridor of NH-320, a four-lane access control road will be constructed as part of the Bharatmala package.
"After completion of the project, Raipur will be commercially connected to Dhanbad and travel time between Ranchi to Bokaro will reduce drastically, leading to the social and industrial development of both the states," the senior NHAI official said.
Gadkari, during the day, will inaugurate a six-lane underpass at Ramgarh, constructed at Rs 24.14 crore, keeping in mind people’s safety.
"The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has identified Patel Chowk at Ramgarh as ‘black spot’, with 22 road accidents recorded there in the last three years. After the construction of the underpass at Patel Chowk, accidents can be checked in that area," the official said.
Several other projects to boost tourism and facilitate faster travel will be inaugurated by Gadkari during his visit to the state.
(With PTI inputs)