National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials said the overall project is unlikely to meet the December 2026 deadline and is expected to be commissioned in March 2027. Delays were attributed to late sanctioning of railway bridges, Operation Sindhoor, and heavy rains and floods that disrupted work on a 147 km stretch in Jammu and Kashmir. Workforce shortages and land acquisition constraints also hindered progress despite intensified resource mobilisation.
The project comprises Package 14 of about 44.60 km from Balsua near Dinanagar to Hiranagar costing Rs 30.44 bn, including Rs 19.39 bn for civil works, and Package 15 covering 35.15 km from Hiranagar to Raya Morh valued at Rs 27.15 bn with Rs 18.7 bn civil cost. Package 16 stretches 20.38 km from Raya Morh to Kunjwani, includes a seven km spur to the new Jammu airport and the River Tawi fourth bridge, costs Rs 19.17 bn with Rs 17.65 bn civil component. Physical progress on these packages is about 85 per cent, 90 per cent and 95 per cent.
Work on major river bridges including Ravi, Ujh, Tarnah and Basantar is nearly complete and the Devak bridge near All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Vijaypur has opened to traffic. Some railway bridge matters remain under active consideration and land issues near Nomain in Katra are sub judice. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) recorded project cost escalation from Rs 250 bn to Rs 389.05 bn, a rise of 55.62 per cent, and with 273 km of 670 km complete authorities are targeting a phased opening to boost tourism, trade and regional mobility.