Planned in 2016, the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway has finally been given a green signal for construction. This ambitious project is being developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana as one of the ten expressways to improve connectivity. This project also aims to encourage religious tourism. Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway route will bridge Vaishnodevi to Delhi via Katra and also Golden Temple, which is in Amritsar.
Scroll down to learn more about this new project, its route, timeline, total cost and connectivity.
Table of contents
- Overview of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
- Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway: Ease in Travel
- Facts About Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway Project
- Route Map of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
- Timeline of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
- Total Costing of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
- Amenities Available at Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
- Ongoing Construction Work of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
- Connectivity of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
- Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway: Real Estate Impact
- Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway Latest News
- Read More About Govt Projects and Infrastructure
- FAQs
Overview of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway route is a blend of brownfield and greenfield expressways which is 650 km long. The highway has been designed to pass from the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. The work of the Katra-Amritsar-Delhi expressway started from the process of land acquisition surveṇy after the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was approved in 2019. It has been currently sanctioned as a 4 lane, controlled-access expressway but could be widened to 8 lanes.
The expressway is being constructed in two parts, National Expressway 5/NE-5 or National Expressway 5A/NE-5A.
Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway: Ease in Travel
The Katra-Amritsar-Delhi Expressway is bound to reduce the distance from Delhi to Katra to 572 km from 747 km. It will also decrease the time taken between both destinations from 14 hours to 6 hours. Additionally, the distance from Amritsar and Delhi will also be decreased to 405 km, along with the travel time reduced to half (from 8 to 4 hours).
Facts About Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway Project
| Estimated cost of Phase 1 | ₹25,000 crores |
| Total project length | 650 km |
| Total length of the main expressway | 550 km |
| Greenfield Expressway | 397.7 km |
| Greenfield spur | 99 km |
| Lanes | 4 |
| Owner | National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) |
| Status | Under bidding and land acquisition |
| Expected date of completion | October 2023 |
Route Map of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
Timeline of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
| Date | Update |
| November 2019 | Delhi-Jind-Amritsar-Katra expressway’s Detailed Planned Report (DPR) was formulated. |
| June 2020 | Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway route map was finalised. Owing to this project, a greenfield expressway was added to Amritsar. The process of acquiring the land began near Nakodar to Raja Sansi. |
| July 2020 | The process of acquiring land began in Jammu and Kashmir. |
| April 2021 | The construction work was commissioned by the NHAI for the Delhi-Nakodar-Gurdaspur stretch. |
| September 2021 | Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced that the construction of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway route will be executed by 2023. |
Total Costing of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
The entire Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway project has been estimated to cost around ₹47,000 crores. Some part of the budget will be spent on land acquisition and the remaining on the construction of the project.
Amenities Available at Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
Various facilities to make travelling convenient for the general public have been planned along the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. These include food courts, ambulances, recreational joints, bus depots, fire brigades, truck stops, trauma centres, and police stations.
Ongoing Construction Work of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
In April 2021, the National Highways Authority of India was appointed to establish the work of the expressway. The entire project work will be segregated into two parts. Phase 1 is divided into 12 packages for the construction of the Delhi-Nakodar-Gurdaspur stretch, which is 397.7 km long. The work has already been scheduled for all the packages. The construction of the Nakodar-Amritsar stretch has been segregated into 3 packages which are 99 km long. Two packages have already been granted, and the bid for the 3rd package is still underway. Phase 2 of this project covers the Gurdaspur-Katra stretch, which is bisected into 4 packages. Phase 1 of the project is a Greenfield expressway, while phase 2 is bound to be a blend of both brownfield and greenfield expressways.
Connectivity of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
The land acquisition process of the project started in January 2020. Divided into 2 phases, the construction of the Delhi- Ludhiana-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
Phase 1 of this project will begin from Kundli Manesar Palwal Expressway, which is near Kheri Jasaur in the Jhajjar district and will end at Gurdaspur Bypass. The greenfield part i.e., Nakodar – Amritsar spur, will start from Nakodar village at the convergence of the Delhi-Katra Expressway with the National Highway 703 and will end on the Amritsar-Ajnala Road (NH 354), which is near Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar.
The expressway will proceed through the Sangrur, Patiala, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur districts of Punjab, Jhajjar, Jind, Rohtak, Karnal, Sonipat, and Kaithal districts of Haryana.
Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway: Real Estate Impact
The construction of the Delhi-Ludhiana-Amritsar-Katra Expressway will result in the emergence of real estate opportunities in the surrounding areas, both in capital and rental markets. Even though many cities and regions are already flourishing, it might add a feather to the cap.
Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway Latest News
Dated – 12 October, 2021
The land acquisition process has begun in full swing in the Ludhiana district of Punjab. The process was on a halt because of the farmer’s protest for a long time. 39 km of the entire highway had to be covered across 24 villages in Ludhiana, which was identified under Bharatmala Pariyojna Phase-I.
Read More About Govt Projects and Infrastructure
FAQs
How many lanes are there on the Delhi-Katra Expressway?
There are 4 lanes on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway, which can be expanded to 8 lanes.
Which highway connects Delhi to Amritsar?
National Highway 1 connects Delhi to Amritsar, the Indo-Pak border’s endpoint.
When will the Katra-Amritsar-Delhi expressway be operational?
The Delhi Amritsar Katra expressway is expected to be operational by 2023.
