SRINAGAR: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Sunday announced that it achieved a significant breakthrough in the construction of the Golden Arc Road, particularly the 700-meter-long Naushera tunnel on the Akhnoor-Poonch National Highway (NH-144A). This breakthrough is a crucial step in connecting the south Kashmir-Jammu region to the west of Jammu, as part of the broader efforts to upgrade the Jammu-Poonch highway.
“#ProjectSampark @BROindia has achieved a remarkable milestone with the breakthrough of the 700 meter long #NausheraTunnel on the Akhnoor-Poonch Road (NH 144A) ahead of schedule,” PRO Defence Jammu announced on X. “Kudos to the hardworking team for enhancing connectivity & ensuring safe travel in the region!”
The Golden Arc Road, a strategic 200 km Rs 5,100-crore highway, connects strategically vital border belts of Akhnoor, Rajouri, and Poonch. The Naushera tunnel, spanning an impressive 700 meters, is one of the four major tunnels on this stretch, the others being Kandi tunnel, Sungal tunnel, and BhimberGali tunnel. The breakthrough marks a milestone in the ongoing Project Sampark, which aims to upgrade National Highway-144A to improve road connectivity and reduce travel time.
The National Highway is being upgraded from two lanes to four lanes, leading to better, faster, and all-weather road connectivity for the people in border districts. The project is expected to cut travel time between Poonch-Rajouri and Jammu, enhancing connectivity and facilitating the movement of defence vehicles along the Line of Control.
The breakthrough achievement in the 260-meter-long Kandi tunnel, achieved in late October 2023, is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the BRO. The completion of the entire project, including the construction of four tunnels and road widening, is expected by 2026, ahead of the specified time.
The project’s execution involves multiple packages, with the BRO and Project Sampark committed to creating, connecting, and enhancing defence infrastructure along the International Border, Line of Control, and Line of Actual Control. The completion of these critical road projects aligns with the organization’s commitment to building and upgrading strategic roads to foster socio-economic progress, adhering to the belief that ‘Roads Build Nation.’
For faster implementation of the project, the challenging road redevelopment and expansion has been broken into eight different stretches. Each of these packages addresses specific stretches of the highway.
Stretch 1 starts from Akhnoor and ends at Chowki Choura, passing through Tanda. It includes the breakthrough achievement in the 260-meter-long Kandi tunnel, representing a significant milestone in the project.
Stretch 2 encompasses the stretch from Chowki Choura to Bhamla and includes the ongoing construction of a 2.78 km tunnel in Sungal, bypassing Kalidhar village.
Stretch 3 will take off from Bhamla and end near Bakhar with a 4-km bypass. This package involves the bypass of Sunderbani town.
Stretch 4 starts from Bakhar and ends near Nowshera, passing through Thandapani, Siot, and Lamberi.
Stretch 5 extends from Nowshera to Kallar, passing through Narian and Chingus. It includes the construction of a new bridge leading to a 0.700 km tunnel, bypassing the existing Tain bridge.
Stretch 6 starts from Kallar and ends at Dhari Dhara near Manjakote, passing through Muradpur, Rajouri, Thandi Kassi, Gambhir, Rajdhani, and Patrara. It also incorporates a 2.7-km bypass around Manjakote town.
Stretch 7 takes off from Dhari Dhara to Bhatadhurian and includes the construction of a 15-km new road and a 1.1-km tunnel at Bhatadhurian, providing an alternative route.
Stretch 8 begins from Bhatadurian and ends at Poonch Police Lines after passing through Jaran Wali Gali, Potha, Sanai, Lassana, Kalai, Chandak, Dingla, and Nangali. It involves the construction of a new 7.6 km road from Kalai to Poonch via Nangali.
Once ready, the distance between Akhnoon and Poonch will reduce by 32 km and the travel time to 4.5 hours. It will be no-frills highway connecting Chicken Neck in Akhnoor with Poonch through parts of Reasi and Rajouri round the year.
