Shimla, Mar 5 (IANS): Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 15 National Highway projects and a Ropeway project entailing an investment of Rs. 4,000 crore in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh.

BJP President J P Nadda and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh and MLAs and officials were also present at the event held here.

The projects that were inaugurated on Tuesday include the construction of Theog bypass on Devrighat-Premghat, the construction of a 196 metres long bridge on Kalruhi section and the construction of the 225 metres long Dhaliyara bridge on National Highway 503 in Kangra district.

The projects for which the foundation stations were laid include road construction projects, the construction of 8 km long 4-lane missing link and cable stay bridge on National Highway 503A till Birhu-Lathiani, 2 km long bridge from Mohal in Kullu to the famous Bijli Mahadev Temple at a cost of Rs 272 crore.

Construction of ropeway, slope protection works of 4 km length to prevent landslides on Parwanoo-Solan section of National Highway 22, construction of 500 m long artificial tunnel on National Highway 5, construction of 410 m long 2-lane RUB on National Highway 503. Four projects are underway through construction and CRIF.

With the construction of these projects, the distance from Hamirpur to Mandi will be reduced by 15 km and the connectivity of areas like Tauni Devi, Awahdevi, Sarkaghat, Dharampur etc. will improve.

With Darlaghat Cement Factory and AIIMS Bilaspur getting 4-lane connectivity, the connectivity of logistics and health services of this area will also be improved. The cable-stayed bridge on Govind Sagar Lake will reduce the current distance from Birhu to Lathiani, Hamirpur to Una by 21 km.

With the construction of the ropeway, the journey to the pilgrimage site Bijli Mahadev will reduce from the present 2 hours 30 minutes to about 7 minutes and all-weather connectivity will be provided to 36000 pilgrims every day.

The work of slope protection and tunnel construction will solve the problem of landslides and travel will be safe and easy. The construction of various highway projects will ease the difficult journey on hilly roads.