The Government of India is set to open two national highways in the state of Punjab in a bid to improve regional road connectivity.

The two road projects, to be inaugurated by Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways, Shipping, Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari, are the upgraded four-lane NH-15 from Amritsar to Bhatinda and NH-64 from Zirakpur to Bhatinda.

The 175km-long NH-15 stretch was built at a cost of Rs28.93bn ($428m). Completed in 24 months, the project will enable travelling between Amritsar and Bhatinda in two hours.

The project involved the construction of three ROBs, five flyovers, 12 underpasses and 31 large junctions.

Completed at a cost of Rs22.64bn ($335m), the 216km NH-64 stretch involved building an ROB, 12 flyovers, 22 underpasses, as well as 42 large junctions.

“Completed in 24 months, the project will enable travelling between Amritsar and Bhatinda in two hours.”

It will improve road connectivity for the commuters of Bhatinda, Amritsar and Simla, as well as enable them to reach Chandigarh from Bhatinda in three hours.

The minister will also lay the foundation stone of two-laning with paved shoulders of the Munak-Jhakhal-Budhlana section of NH-144B.

This 45.89km project will be completed in 18 months at a cost of Rs2.93bn ($43.4m).

Expected to reduce travel time between Bhikhi and Tohana by nearly an hour, the project will also facilitate traffic movement between the states of Haryana and Punjab.

It involves the construction of a flyover, as well as a grade separator.

Overall, the project will include 5km of service roads, two VUPs and six small bridges.