GS 3 – Infrastructure
Context: The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways recently announced the completion of the 4-lane, 2.35 km Banihal Bypass on NH-44.
- The Banihal Bypass is a four-lane road measuring 2.35 km that bypasses Banihal town in Jammu & Kashmir. It addresses long-standing traffic congestion in the area.
- The bypass was built at a cost of Rs 224.44 crore.
- Located strategically on the Ramban–Banihal section of NH-44, it includes:
- This infrastructure effectively eliminates the traffic bottleneck caused by roadside markets and shops, ensuring smoother traffic flow.
- The bypass significantly reduces travel time and congestion, benefiting both tourists and defense vehicles heading to the Kashmir Valley.
Facts about NH-44:
- NH-44, also known as the Old NH 7, is the longest national highway in India.
- It is ranked 22nd among the longest national highways globally.
- NH-44 stretches over a distance of 3,745 kilometers (2,327 miles), connecting Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
- The highway passes through 11 states: Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
- Significant cities along NH-44 include Agra, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.
- NH-44 is not a single, continuous highway but an amalgamation of seven previously existing national highways.