JAMMU, October 22: A nearly 40-kilometre stretch of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway between Pathankot and Dayalachak is expected to become operational by December this year, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.
In a post on social media platform X, Singh said the new stretch would bypass the Lakhanpur toll plaza and significantly reduce travel time between Pathankot and Dayalachak.
According to the minister, the journey time on this section is expected to come down from the current 50–70 minutes to approximately 25–30 minutes once the stretch opens to traffic.
Describing the development as a major improvement in regional connectivity, Singh said the project would make travel more convenient for commuters and strengthen road infrastructure in the region.
The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is a major infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity between the national capital, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage destination in Katra.
Once the entire expressway is completed, the distance between Delhi and Katra is expected to decrease from approximately 727 kilometres to 588 kilometres. The travel time is also projected to fall from around 14 hours to nearly six hours.
The opening of the Pathankot-Dayalachak section is expected to provide commuters with a faster alternative route and improve connectivity between neighbouring regions.
