The banihal section of NH 44 is being constructed

14 Apr 2023 CW Team

A section of the Jammu to Udhampur-Ramban-Banihal to Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) being built to provide all-weather connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar was inspected by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha, Union Minister of State General (Dr)V.K. Singh (Retd), and Union Minister of State Shri Jitendra Singh.

At a cost of 350 million, three corridors are being developed to facilitate traffic between Jammu and Srinagar. The part from Srinagar to Banihal is included in this first corridor, which runs from Jammu to Udhampur-Ramban-Banihal and then on to Srinagar. The 250 km long, four-lane road is being constructed for $160,000,000,000. Out of this, a 210-kilometre road with 4 lanes has been constructed, including 10 21.5 km long tunnels.

To prevent potential landslides in this area, the design of this road's 4-laning was done on the basis of geo-technical and geological analysis. To ensure that the route between Jammu and Srinagar is secure and easy to travel, crash barriers and other safety measures have also been installed.

With the completion of this road, Jammu and Srinagar would be connected under all weather conditions. From Srinagar to Jammu, it will take only 4-5 hours to travel instead of 9-10. By June 2024, a 40 km (4-lane) carriageway between Ramban and Banihal would be finished, easing traffic for Srinagar commuters.

Building Material

18 Sep 2025

Ambuja Cements Drags JSW Cement to Court Over ‘Kawach’ Brand

Ambuja Cements, part of the Adani Group, has filed a trademark infringement case against JSW Cement in the Delhi High Court, alleging that its rival copied the ‘Kawach’ brand with its new product ‘Jal Kavach’.Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora issued summons to JSW Cement and its subsidiary, JSW IP Holdings Pvt Ltd, while referring the matter to mediation. Hearings are scheduled to resume on October 15 if no settlement is reached.Ambuja, which registered the ‘Kawach’ trademark in 2019, argues that the term ‘Kavach’—meaning shield—is the distinctive feature of its branding. ..

Bentley Systems Named Innovation Partner of the Year 2025 by Afcons

Bentley Systems, the infrastructure engineering software company, has been recognised by Afcons Infrastructure Limited as its Innovation Partner of the Year 2025 at the Innovation Partners 2025 Felicitation Ceremony in Mumbai. The award acknowledges Bentley’s contribution to Afcons’ engineering digitalisation journey through an enterprise agreement providing access to over 250 Bentley engineering software tools. This adoption has enabled Afcons to accelerate project delivery, standardise digital workflows, and strengthen innovation across its infrastructure portfolio. Among key i..

SBI Sells 13.18% Stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s SMBC

State Bank of India (SBI) has completed the sale of a 13.18 per cent stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for over Rs 8,889 crore. The divestment is part of a Rs 13,482 crore deal finalised in May with SMBC and seven private banks.Following the transaction, SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank stands at 10.8 per cent. The deal, involving 4,134.4 million shares at Rs 21.50 each, is the largest cross-border transaction in the Indian banking sector.SBI Chairman C S Setty described the 2020 RBI-led rescue of Yes Bank as a pioneering public-private partnership, addi..