The National Highways Authority of India is set to commission the Jammu Ring Road by June this year, a move expected to bring major relief from chronic traffic congestion in the winter capital. The project, with an estimated cost of Rs 26.74 billion, will significantly divert through-traffic away from city roads. The nearly 56-km-long corridor, comprising a mix of six- and four-lane stretches, runs from Raya Morh in Samba district and connects to National Highway 44 near Jagti in Nagrota, around 14 km ahead of Jammu towards the Katra–Srinagar axis. Officials estimate that more than 60 per cent of vehicles travelling from Lakhanpur, Kathua and Samba towards Kashmir, Katra Mata Vaishnodevi, Doda–Kishtwar and the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch will use the ring road, easing pressure on Jammu city roads. Heavy, medium and light vehicles are all expected to shift to the new route. Construction began in 2018 with an initial completion target of three years, but the project faced delays. While Gayatri Constructions was awarded the main road works, the construction of four tunnels—two pairs with a combined length of about 3.1 km—was allotted to Bharat Constructions at a cost of Rs 6.5 billion. Two tunnels measure around 780 metres each, while the other two are approximately 700 metres long. Delays were attributed to the COVID-19 lockdowns, prolonged land acquisition and technical challenges during tunnelling, including loose soil and falling rock inside one of the longer tunnels near Jagti. The contractor said the issues were resolved with expert intervention. The tunnel contractor expects savings of nearly Rs 2 billion on the allocated cost. Rajiv Kumar, Project Director, NHAI Jammu, said around 95 per cent of the work on the Raya Morh–Jagti stretch has been completed, with only about 5 km pending near Jagti. Two tunnels are almost complete, approach roads are under construction, and a third tunnel is expected to be finished by June. The remaining tunnel is slated for completion by August or, at the latest, September 2026. The project cost has escalated over time from the original Rs 20.24 billion due to delays and revised estimates. NHAI is also installing an Automatic Traffic Management System on the ring road to monitor speed limits and traffic violations. Once commissioned, officials expect a 60–65 per cent reduction in traffic volume on Jammu city roads. Vehicles bound for Kashmir, Rajouri–Poonch, Katra Mata Vaishnodevi and Akhnoor–Khour are likely to prefer the ring road, a trend already visible on partially opened sections. The upcoming Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway is also expected to further ease congestion. Authorities said the combined impact of these projects would offer substantial long-term relief from traffic jams and heavy vehicle movement in Jammu.