The government today said it would consider the demand of the Haryana Government to build an express highway between Delhi and Chandigarh at an estimated cost of Rs 8,000 crore.
“The Union Government would earnestly consider the ambitious Rs 8,000-crore project of Express Highway from Delhi to Chandigarh along the Yamuna river,” an official statement quoting the Union Surface Transport Minister, Mr C.P. Joshi, said.
Besides this, the Transport Ministry is also considering the State government's request to convert eight State roads into national highways, the statement said.
It added that the Road Transport Minister was responding to the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda's request for these projects made at a foundation stone laying function of four-laning of Rohtak-Panipat section of National Highway - 71 A at Gohana today.
The 81-km-long four-laning project would cost more than Rs 800 crore and is likely to be completed by October, 2013.
It will have three rail overbridges, three major and five minor bridges, four grade separators, 15 underpasses and six by-passes.
Earlier, in his speech, Mr Hooda has proposed that the express highway between Delhi and Chandigarh can be jointly constructed by Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the statement said.
He also said that the express highway would further accelerate the pace of development in Haryana.