Gadkari Sets 2026 Deadline for Uttarakhand’s Strategic Highway Overhaul
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and CM Pushkar Singh Dhami set a December 2026 deadline for all National Highway projects in Uttarakhand. The high-level review prioritizes the Chardham Mahamarg, pothole-free roads, and forest clearances to ensure seamless connectivity and monsoon preparedness in the Himalayan state.
Chief Minister Dhami characterized the session as a breakthrough in administrative coordination, noting that several long-standing bottlenecks—specifically those related to pending forest clearances—were resolved through immediate executive decisions. The roadmap established during the summit prioritizes a dual-track approach: while the long-term goal remains the 2026 completion of major corridors, an immediate directive was issued to ensure the state’s road network is made "pothole-free" and fully maintained before the onset of the monsoon season. This seasonal maintenance is viewed as a critical safety measure to prevent the recurring disruptions that often paralyze the Himalayan region during heavy rains.
The strategic significance of this infrastructure blitz extends beyond simple transit, as the Union Government aims to transform the socio-economic landscape of the region through enhanced "all-weather" accessibility. By streamlining the execution of bypasses and ROBs, the project seeks to balance the high-volume traffic of the Chardham pilgrimage with the daily commuting needs of local residents. This administrative push signals a robust commitment to integrating the remote stretches of Uttarakhand into the national economic mainstream, ensuring that the state's rugged terrain no longer serves as a barrier to rapid development and disaster-resilient transport.

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