The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister on Wednesday approved Highway Projects Worth Rs 4,428 crore in Himachal pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The projects fall under the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP), which upgrades, rehabilitates and widens highways in India.   

            The first project pertains to two- laning with construction of four - lane highway of the shimla bypass, which is between Kaithlighat and Shimla on Nh-22. The total cost of this project would be close to Rs 1,583.18 crore. The amount be utilised for land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and for activities before constructing the highways under Phase III.

The total length of the road will be approximately 28 kilometers and it is intended to improve the infrastructure in Himanchal Pradesh and reduce the time and cost of travel for commuters, particularly towards movement of heavy traffic on the Kaithlighat- Shimla section. 

The other project in Uttar Pradesh is for developing a four - lane highway of the Lucknow- Sultanpur section on NH- 56. The work undertaken by the NHDO would fall under Phase IV. The cost is estimated to be Rs 2,844.72 crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road will be approximately 128 kilometers.