Delhi-Katra Expressway set to enhance connectivity for Ludhiana and North India

LUDHIANA: As the Delhi-Katra Expressway is expected to decrease the distance between Ludhiana and other cities of North India, including Delhi and Jammu, a recent status report from NHAI suggests that of the two parts of the highway in the district, one is expected to be completed by the end of September and the second in March next year.
Meanwhile, according to an NHAI official, the govt has set a target of the end of June for the completion of the road from Delhi to near Bogiwal before it enters Ludhiana district.
According to the recent status report, of the 35.09 kilometres road length of Package Eight, of which around 22 kilometres are in Ludhiana district and the remaining is in Malerkotla district, 31.08% physical progress and 27.12% financial progress have been made. The stretch runs from Chappar to near the Mullanpur area.
The status report suggests that the target completion date for Package Eight is 31 March 2026. It also points out that of the 43.04 kilometres road to be constructed under Package Nine, about 16 kilometres are in Ludhiana district, whereas the remaining is in Jalandhar district.
The recent report suggests that 57.82% of the physical progress has been achieved on Package Nine and 52.97% of financial progress has been made. The target completion date for the road stretch to be completed is 31 March 2026.
An NHAI officer, asking not to be named, said that since they have got 100% possession of the land from farmers for the construction of the expressway in Ludhiana district, the packages are expected to be completed by the target completion dates. He suggested that the process for the start of construction work, after initial hiccups due to land compensation issues with farmers, has started and work is set to be expedited in the coming time.
The officer further said that the govt has set a target of the end of June for the expressway to be completed from Delhi to the boundary of Ludhiana district in Malerkotla district. He added that they will need the support of the civil administration to get possession of 1.22 kilometres in Sangrur for the project, which is in three small pockets, and 2.54 kilometres of land for the road in Malerkotla, which is in 17 pockets.
Sources in NHAI said that even as the scheduled completion date for Package Eight was 13 March this year, things got delayed as the landowners demanded compensation of around Rs 80 lakhs per acre instead of around Rs 50-55 lakhs compensation which was offered to them.
Meanwhile, residents are waiting for the completion of work on the Delhi-Katra Expressway. Sanjay Sharma, a businessman from the Dugri area, said that as of now, it takes a long time to travel to Delhi and other cities of North India, but once the Delhi-Katra Expressway is completed, it will help them travel faster. He added that they can go to Delhi in less time to carry out business activity in the morning and return in the evening.
Raj Kumar, another resident, said that travel for the devotees who go to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra to pay obeisance there will get easier and faster.
According to NHAI officials, of around 399 kilometres of road being constructed in Punjab as part of the Delhi-Katra Expressway project, around 38 kilometres are in Ludhiana district. They added that the total road being constructed in Ludhiana is in 24 villages of the district.
Of the 24 villages which are in the project, two villages are in Ludhiana East, 19 in Ludhiana West, and three in Jagraon Tehsil. The project starts in Ludhiana district in Chhapar village and leaves Ludhiana near Gumnewal village.
Villages from which the Delhi Katra Expressway will pass:
In Tehsil Ludhiana East:
1. Kalakh
2. Kot Agga
In Tehsil Ludhiana West:
1. Chappar
2. Dhurkot
3. Joraha
4. Ranguwal
5. Lohgarh
6. Rattan
7. Pamal
8. Rurka
9. Hassanpur
10. Changan
11. Hambran
12. Gujjrwal
13. Ballowal
14. Jodhan
15. Chokkar
16. Khandoor
17. Bhanour
18. Dakha
19. Bhattian
In Tehsil Jagraon:
1. Bhatta Dhua
2. Walipur Kalan
3. Gumnewal
According to NHAI officials, even as work in the district started in 2020 with survey work, the road construction work on the ground in Ludhiana began in 2022.