Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Thursday, June 25, 2026, that the government has completed restoration of two flood-damaged bridges on National Highway 44 (NH-44) near Kalibari in Jammu and Kashmir, reinstating a critical surface link between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Context

The two bridges — one over the Ravi River and another over Sehar Khad — had sustained extensive damage during last year's flash floods, significantly disrupting movement along one of India's most strategically important road corridors. The disruption affected civilian commuters, freight operators, and pilgrims relying on the highway. Gadkari stated that the structures were restored 'within the stipulated timeline,' prioritising their strategic importance to the region.

NH-44 is the primary national highway linking Jammu with Srinagar and onward to Ladakh, serving as the main surface artery for civilian, military, and pilgrimage traffic across the Union Territory.

Policy Backdrop

The restoration is consistent with the central government's accelerated infrastructure push in Jammu and Kashmir following its reorganisation as a Union Territory in 2019. Multiple programmes have underpinned this effort: the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, launched in 2021, integrates road projects with logistics planning and disaster-resilient design, while Bharatmala Pariyojana — approved in 2015 — specifically prioritised upgradation and rehabilitation of NH-44 and other strategic highways in the region.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has executed multiple phases of widening and bridge reconstruction on NH-44 since the early 2010s to address recurring vulnerabilities from landslides and seasonal flooding. Flood-affected bridge restoration on this corridor forms part of a sustained central effort to maintain year-round connectivity for civilian, economic, and security purposes.

Stakeholders and Impact

The reopening carries particular significance for the Amarnath Yatra, the annual summer pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine that draws hundreds of thousands of devotees each year and depends heavily on NH-44 for access from Jammu. Gadkari specifically noted the bridges will 'provide substantial relief to devotees undertaking the annual Amarnath Yatra.' Freight operators running goods between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as residents of the Jammu region, stand to benefit directly from restored seamless connectivity.

Gadkari tagged Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, in the post, reflecting the coordinated approach between the Union Ministry and the UT administration on central infrastructure works in the region.

What's Next

The operational performance of the two restored bridges during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra season will be closely watched as a test of the restoration's durability under heavy traffic and monsoon conditions. The Ministry is expected to monitor other flood-vulnerable stretches of NH-44 for further protective and remedial works. Broader climate-resilience retrofitting of bridges and road infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir remains an active priority under the PM Gati Shakti framework, with the central government signalling continued investment in the Union Territory's surface connectivity.