<span style="color: #222222;">In Jammu and Kashmir , Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways  Nitin Gadkari today dedicated to the nation Kerrian Gandyal bridge in Kathua district of Jammu.  </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The bridge has been constructed over river Ravi in Kathua district in a record time of  over  three years. J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik and Union Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, Dr Jitendra Singh were also present on the occasion.  </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">After dedicating the bridge to the nation,  the Mr. Gadkari addressed a public gathering and said that under the Prime Minister's  rupees 80,000 crore special development package (PMDP) for J&K announced on 7th November 2015, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is executing 16 projects worth Rs 45,107 crore through NHAI, NHIDCL, State PWD and BRO.  Mr. Gadkari said that of these, works worth Rs 30,000 crore have already started. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In his address, Governor Satya Pal Malik  thanked  the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for expediting the construction of  several developmental projects in the State.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Earlier, MoS, PMO, Dr. Jatinder Singh  said that  the  bridge which was the long pending demand of the people of the area for the last  over sixty years has been completed in record time.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">AIR correspondent reports that the 1.2 km long  span-bridge over the river Ravi has been constructed at a cost of rupees 158.84 crore and will improve inter-state connectivity. This project will benefit over 2,20,000 people living on the two sides – Kathua in Jammu, and Pathankot in Punjab. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">This will reduce the distance between the two cities from 45 kms to 8.6 kms, which will save on both time and fuel cost. The National Highway (NH) network in Jammu and Kashmir has seen an increase of 969 kms in the last four years. The total length of National Highways in the State was 1695 kms in 2014, which has gone up to 2664 kms in 2018.</span><br />