New Delhi [India], April 5 (ANI): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday announced the approval of a 15.34-kilometre-long, six-lane access-controlled Vrindavan Bypass project in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh. The project, sanctioned at a cost of Rs1645.72 crore, is expected to significantly cut travel time and decongest traffic around the pilgrimage town of Vrindavan.

In a post on X, Gadkari said the project would be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), which blends public and private investment to expedite execution while reducing the government's financial risk. The bypass will provide seamless connectivity to three major routes: National Highway 44 (NH-44), the Yamuna Expressway, and NH-530B.

'Construction of 15.34 km long 6-lane Access Controlled Vrindavan Bypass in Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh has been approved at a cost of Rs 1645.72 crore along with pre-construction activities including land acquisition under Hybrid Annuity Mode,' Gadkari said on X.

'The construction of the Vrindavan bypass will provide direct connectivity to NH-44 with Yamuna Expressway and NH-530B, reducing travel time from 1.5 hours to 15 minutes. This bypass will reduce traffic congestion in Vrindavan and increase hassle-free access to Vrindavan by providing connectivity to the parking proposed by the state government,' Nitin Gadkari said.

The project will facilitate access to religious places in Mathura, Vrindavan and will also enhance connectivity between the industrial corridors, he added.

Earlier on March 25, Nitin Gadkari said that in the next two years, the Indian roads will be better than those of the United States.

'I don't think there is any problem in the road sector. The changes this year and next year will be so significant that earlier I used to say our highway road network would match that of the US, but now I say that within two years, our highway network will be even better than the US,' he added.

Gadkari exuded confidence that India will surpass the US in EV adoption and manufacturing in the next five years.

The Union Minister explained the ministry's works and added that the distance between cities such as Delhi, Dehradun, Jaipur, or Bengaluru will drastically reduce. (ANI)