<p>New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/nitin-gadkari">Nitin Gadkari</a> said on Thursday that a total of 25,000 km of two-lane highways in the country will be converted into four lanes for Rs 10 lakh crore.</p><p>"We are planning to convert 25,000 km of two-lane highways into four-lane highways at a cost of Rs 10 lakh crore. The DPRs (detailed project reports) of the projects are getting ready, and we are hopeful to complete the work in two years," he said during Question Hour in Lok Sabha.</p><p>Gadkari also said that 16,000 km of national highways would also be converted into six lanes for Rs 6 lakh crore.</p><p>Insisting that the government is keen on reducing the road accidents by providing world class quality of road network, the Minister said the country is losing 3 per cent of its GDP due to road accidents annually.</p>.Prices of EVs to be same as petrol cars in 6 months, says Gadkari.<p>Gadkari also said that the Centre is giving the highest priority to the development of highways in Jammu and Kashmir, northeastern states and hilly states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.</p><p>He said road construction works worth Rs 2 lakh crore are underway in J&K, where 105 tunnels are being constructed for ease of travel.</p><p>The minister said that the government is also constructing a tunnel at Zojila, which would be the longest in Asia and to be located in a sub-zero temperature zone.</p><p>He said that initially, the tunnel was estimated to be constructed for over Rs 12,000 crore, but it will be completed at just around Rs 5,500 crore.</p><p>He said the work on the Jammu-Srinagar highway is also under progress, where 36 tunnels will be constructed, of which work in 22 tunnels has been completed.</p><p>He said once the work is completed, the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced to three to three and a half hours instead of the current seven hours.</p>
<p>New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/nitin-gadkari">Nitin Gadkari</a> said on Thursday that a total of 25,000 km of two-lane highways in the country will be converted into four lanes for Rs 10 lakh crore.</p><p>"We are planning to convert 25,000 km of two-lane highways into four-lane highways at a cost of Rs 10 lakh crore. The DPRs (detailed project reports) of the projects are getting ready, and we are hopeful to complete the work in two years," he said during Question Hour in Lok Sabha.</p><p>Gadkari also said that 16,000 km of national highways would also be converted into six lanes for Rs 6 lakh crore.</p><p>Insisting that the government is keen on reducing the road accidents by providing world class quality of road network, the Minister said the country is losing 3 per cent of its GDP due to road accidents annually.</p>.Prices of EVs to be same as petrol cars in 6 months, says Gadkari.<p>Gadkari also said that the Centre is giving the highest priority to the development of highways in Jammu and Kashmir, northeastern states and hilly states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.</p><p>He said road construction works worth Rs 2 lakh crore are underway in J&K, where 105 tunnels are being constructed for ease of travel.</p><p>The minister said that the government is also constructing a tunnel at Zojila, which would be the longest in Asia and to be located in a sub-zero temperature zone.</p><p>He said that initially, the tunnel was estimated to be constructed for over Rs 12,000 crore, but it will be completed at just around Rs 5,500 crore.</p><p>He said the work on the Jammu-Srinagar highway is also under progress, where 36 tunnels will be constructed, of which work in 22 tunnels has been completed.</p><p>He said once the work is completed, the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced to three to three and a half hours instead of the current seven hours.</p>
