Work on Shopian-Bijbehara road to be completed by year-end

13 Sep 2022 CW Team

With a two-year completion goal, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways approved funding of Rs 489.3 million for the construction of this vital connecting link. “There were many factors involved, ranging from lack of funds to the project’s implementation being amended a few times. But all the issues have been resolved now and work is in the final stages,” an official said.

The road is essential for tying the old Mughal route to the Srinagar-Jammu highway near Bijbehara town and connecting more than 20 villages to the district of Anantnag in South Kashmir. Additionally, it will connect a number of locations to Bijbehara Railway Station.

The project was delayed, according to officials, due to the moving of utilities by the departments, such as water pipelines and electric poles. The road was intended to be finished in two years but has missed many deadlines. “The process was initially delayed for a while since there were not enough funds to switch utilities, but that problem has since been remedied,” an official stated.

Rafiq Ahmad, the department's chief engineer for roads and buildings, said that the project is "substantially complete" and will be finished soon. “The project is moving along extremely well, and because all of the important works have been finished, we anticipate it being finished in the next two months. We are currently removing certain bottlenecks,” he said, adding that 15 of the original 25 kilometers have been finished, and work is currently being done on the final 10 kilometers.

Although the project had been in limbo for a while, the locals claimed that recent developments had given them renewed hope. “This project is really important and will greatly benefit people. We can travel faster by using the road to get to Anantnag. Currently, we have to travel to Shopian, Pulwama, and then either the National Highway or another area of the Valley from there,” Basit Ahmad, a local said.

The prolonged Shopian-Bijbehara road, which has encountered delays, is expected to be finished by the end of the year as most of the construction work is finished and the final leg of the road construction is moving along quickly. With a two-year completion goal, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways approved funding of Rs 489.3 million for the construction of this vital connecting link. “There were many factors involved, ranging from lack of funds to the project’s implementation being amended a few times. But all the issues have been resolved now and work is in the final stages,” an official said. The road is essential for tying the old Mughal route to the Srinagar-Jammu highway near Bijbehara town and connecting more than 20 villages to the district of Anantnag in South Kashmir. Additionally, it will connect a number of locations to Bijbehara Railway Station. The project was delayed, according to officials, due to the moving of utilities by the departments, such as water pipelines and electric poles. The road was intended to be finished in two years but has missed many deadlines. “The process was initially delayed for a while since there were not enough funds to switch utilities, but that problem has since been remedied,” an official stated. Rafiq Ahmad, the department's chief engineer for roads and buildings, said that the project is substantially complete and will be finished soon. “The project is moving along extremely well, and because all of the important works have been finished, we anticipate it being finished in the next two months. We are currently removing certain bottlenecks,” he said, adding that 15 of the original 25 kilometers have been finished, and work is currently being done on the final 10 kilometers. Although the project had been in limbo for a while, the locals claimed that recent developments had given them renewed hope. “This project is really important and will greatly benefit people. We can travel faster by using the road to get to Anantnag. Currently, we have to travel to Shopian, Pulwama, and then either the National Highway or another area of the Valley from there,” Basit Ahmad, a local said. See also: Rajouri gets road connectivity! Road projects in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh improving travel

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Suraj Estate Wins Euromoney Award for India’s Best Residential Developer

"Suraj Estate Developers Limited has received the Euromoney Real Estate Award 2025 for ‘India’s Best Residential Developer’, positioning the company among globally benchmarked leaders in the sector. The recognition reflects its four-decade legacy in delivering high-quality residential and redevelopment-led projects across South Central Mumbai. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards, presented by the London-based Euromoney magazine, are widely regarded as one of the most credible global assessments of performance in real estate, banking and finance. Winners are selected through surveys of inte..

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU to Explore Strategic Collaboration

"Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Steel Limited to evaluate potential areas of strategic cooperation across mining, logistics, pelletisation and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and Mr T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. The partnership framework aims to leverage the natural operational synergies between both companies and assess opportunities in greenfield steel projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore–ric..

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching th..