- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Sat, 08 Nov 2025 10:33 AM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
Marking Uttarakhand’s silver jubilee, Public Works Minister Satpal Maharaj highlighted the department’s major achievements and outlined an ambitious roadmap for the next 25 years. He said the Public Works Department (PWD) has played a crucial role in the state’s development since its formation in 2000.
At the time of statehood, Uttarakhand had 15,470 kilometres of roads, which has now increased to 43,765 kilometres. The minister announced that the government’s goal for the coming decades is to make Uttarakhand a developed state by 2047, with large-scale infrastructure projects under the Vision-2050 initiative.
Among the key initiatives, the 10.60-kilometre Nagla-Kichha road will be expanded from two lanes to four under the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor. In addition, 5,700 kilometres of unmetalled roads will be converted into motorable metalled roads, and 1,469 kilometres of single-lane national highways will be widened into double lanes.
To improve accessibility in remote regions, the government also plans to build tunnels, ropeways, and underground corridors to shorten travel routes and develop bypasses across several cities. Proposed bypass locations include Haldwani, Khatima, Kathgodam, Dehradun (Asharodi-ISBT-Mohkampur), Lohaghat, Pithoragarh, Almora, Rishikesh, Gairsain, Karnaprayag, Gopeshwar, Augustmuni, Pauri, Srinagar, Adi Badri, Ramnagar, Kotdwar, Haridwar, Lal Kuan-Haldwani-Kathgodam, and Pantnagar.
Under Vision-2050, the department is also working on the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Project, which will strengthen and widen roads connecting 16 ancient temples in Kumaon, similar to the Char Dham project.
Furthermore, 460 old Class B loading bridges across the state will be upgraded to Class A to support heavy and modern vehicles. Major state highways, including the Khairna-Ranikhet-Ramnagar route, will also be expanded.
The minister also shared that the combined length of the Char Dham routes, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, along with the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route, stands at 889 kilometres. To ensure smooth connectivity, work under the All-Weather Road Connectivity Project, worth Rs 12,769 crore, is ongoing. The project, launched by the Prime Minister on December 27, 2016, continues to enhance connectivity across Uttarakhand’s mountainous regions.