Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, turned the soil over on not one, not two, but eight spanking new National Highway projects in Tanakpur, Uttarakhand, on the 13th of February. With a whopping price tag of Rs 2,217 crore, this grand gesture was witnessed by a host of dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Dhami, Union Minister of State Ajay Bhatt, alongside esteemed MPs, MLAs, and officials who managed to take time out from their presumably busy schedules to grace the occasion.
The projects promise to weave a network of roads so smooth and wide, they could double as runways for flying carpets. For starters, the Kathgodam to Nainital road is getting a two-lane makeover, complete with paved shoulders that will not just enhance the journey to the famous Nainital – Manaskhand temples but might also encourage spontaneous roadside picnics. Meanwhile, the path from Kashipur to Ramnagar is set to balloon into a four-lane thoroughfare, offering tourists an express route to the gates of Jim Corbett National Park, without compromising on their pilgrimage to the Manaskhand temples.
In a similar vein, the Kangarchina to Almora and Kanda Marg from Udiyari Band on National Highway 309A are on the list for a two-lane expansion. These upgrades promise not just to boost the tourist influx to places like Bageshwar but also to shave precious time off the journey, possibly even leaving travelers with a few extra moments to contemplate the beauty of their surroundings or the meaning of life – whichever comes first.
In a speech that could inspire a pebble to roll uphill, Gadkari outlined his vision of a transformed Uttarakhand, boasting of roads and highways that not only stand as marvels of engineering but also as bastions of safety, complete with walls along the National Highway 87 extension to protect against… well, the unexpected. He didn’t stop there; bridges over the Saryu and Gomdi rivers in Bageshwar are also set for a makeover, ensuring that no river, no matter how insistent, stands in the way of progress.
Under the wise guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Gadkari’s groundwork lays the foundation for a future where tourists can zip through the scenic landscapes of Uttarakhand without a hitch, and local economies flourish like never before – all this while giving a respectful nod to the environment. In essence, Gadkari’s highway project spree in Tanakpur is not just about laying roads; it’s about paving the way for prosperity, one smooth, wide, and welcoming road at a time.
