92%. That is how much of the Pathankot–Dayalachak stretch of the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway is complete, according to Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who said the section is expected to open by December 2026.
The stretch, in numbers
- Length: 44.6 km as per the project data reported by The Tribune; the minister described it as "nearly 40-km", so the two figures differ.
- Cost: Rs 3,044 crore (Package 14); work began in September 2022.
- Travel time: the minister's claim is a cut from 50–70 minutes to 25–30 minutes on this section.
- Toll: the stretch is reported to bypass the Lakhanpur toll plaza.
Why a young Jammu commuter should care
The Lakhanpur-to-Jammu run in Kathua district can take more than two hours in congested periods, per the same report. The report describes the expressway as serving pilgrims and commuters and as improving access to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra. For anyone who makes the trip regularly, a bypass that avoids a toll queue is a change you feel on the road, not just on a map.
What comes after
The expressway runs in five J&K packages under Bharatmala Pariyojana. The remaining four are further off:
- Package 15, Gurha Baildaran–Jakh, 35.15 km: 91% done, expected April 2027; it will connect directly to the Jammu Ring Road.
- Package 16, Jakh–Kunjwani, 20.39 km: 96% done, expected March 2027.
- Package 17, Kunjwani–Sidhra and Domel–Katra, 26.8 km: 69% done, expected November 2027.
- Package 18, Sidhra–Ban village, 15.3 km: 72% done, expected June 2027.
"December" is a target stated by the minister, not a notified opening date; the sources we read give no opening date or tolling arrangements. Related reading: Our earlier report on Jammu's Ring Road.
Sources: The Tribune; Northlines.
