India has laid foundation on new highway projects worth more than INR33bn ($537m) in the state of Punjab.

Minister of road transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for the project, which involves four-laning of the national highway from Bathinda to Chandigarh.

The project will improve connectivity between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The entire 222km-long project includes Sangrur-Dogal Kalan (30km), Dogal Kalan-Punjab Haryana border (27km), Sangrur-Dhanaula bye-pass (18km), Patiala bye-pass (19km), Patiala-Sangrur (41km), Sangrur-Tapa (46km) and Tapa-Bathinda (41km).

"The project will improve connectivity between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan."

The minister also announced plans for INR180bn ($2.9bn) investment on the state’s road infrastructure, including five railways over bridges.

The projects include INR15bn ($243m) Jalandhar-Moga highway and INR5bn ($81m) Moga-Barnala highway. The Indian Government also plans to invest INR10bn ($162m) to extend the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur highway to the Himachal Pradesh border.

Wok on the projects is expected to begin before the end of the year.

Additional projects planned to be developed include the Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway at INR20bn ($324m), Kurali-Kharar Road at a cost of INR3bn ($49m), Rupnagar-Phawara Road at a cost of INR10bn ($162m), the Ladowal Bypass at a cost of INR3.1bn ($50m), Amritsar-Attari Road at a cost of INR2.5bn ($40m) and Samrala-Ludhiana Road at a cost of INR10bn ($162m).