US type highway to be ready in Karnataka by 2024: Nitin Gadkari

Bengaluru: The Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari said that if the state government acquires the land quickly and with the necessary approvals, highways will be built in Karnataka similar to the US by 2024.

Speaking at a function in Belagavi on Monday, after the inaugration to the development of five national highways in the Belgaum and Vijayapur districts at a cost of Rs 3,972 crore, Gadkari said: 'The development of each sector depends on road connectivity. So the government is committed to strengthening the road network. More highway projects in this region will be sanctioned under the Bharat Mala-2 project', he promised.

The 9,000-km long Greenfield and Highway Corridor project is being implemented at a cost of over Rs 3 lakh crore. This includes the Bangalore-Chennai project. 'You can drive at speeds of up to 120 km/h on the Delhi-Mumbai highway. This will reduce the travel time between the two cities to 12 hours. An alternative approach is to take up land in the vicinity of highways and set up a smart village and industry in order to control the traffic congestion and urbanisation pressure in Bangalore' he added. He also said that if the state government plans to do so, all kind of assistance will be provided by the central government.

If the state government grants land for road projects, tourism will be given priority for the implementation of supplementary projects for development of industries. The Bharat Mala-2 project aims to reduce the distance between Pune- Bangalore Road by 100 km. Next, it will be connected to Bangalore-Chennai highway. The road connectivity will be further enhanced by national highways now under construction. Road connectivity of Karnataka-Maharashtra states will be improved. This will facilitate sugar cane transport and industries, said Minister Nitin Gadkari. Gadkari described the relationship between Queen Belavadi Mallamma and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as evidence of the Maratha-Kannadiga brotherhood.

Hydropower project

Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai said that the hydropower project will be fully implemented along the national highway from Kittur to Belgaum to the Maharashtra border. Launched in Belgaum district, the project will be rolled out across the state in the coming days. He declared that the water available in the area would be utilised.

He said the implementation of the hydropower project along all the highways in the state would provide a new dimension to development. He urged the Union Minister to complete the outer ring road as soon as possible in various parts of the state including Belgaum.

Would change transport scenario in the State: CM

The ambitious National Highway projects which are being dedicated to the state on Monday would change the transport scenario in the State in the coming days, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

Speaking to media persons in Hubballi on Monday, CM Bommai said, the development works being undertaken by the Union and State government would lay a strong foundation for development in economic, social and education sectors of the State.

"Today Union minister for Highways Nitin Gadkari is launching and dedicating to the nation a slew of projects in the State. Many development projects in the State have been implemented due to the commitment and diligence of Union minister Prahlad Joshi. Construction of National Highways works and Upgradation of State Highways are being implemented in the State under the leadership of Gadkari," Bommai said.