Chandigarh, July 20 (IANS): Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Monday that road projects worth Rs.25,000 crore would be initiated in Haryana by December this year.

Gadkari, who visited Saha near Ambala and Sirsa town, laid the foundation stones of two road projects involving a total investment of Rs.1,821.20 crore - four-laning projects of Yamunanagar-Saha-Barwala section of National Highway No.73 and that of Ambala-Kaithal portion of National Highway No.65.

The minister announced sanction for eight new national highways that would pass through Haryana and added that ring roads would be constructed for Panchkula-Chandigarh and Mohali, Ambala city and Ambala Cantt and Karnal.

The eight new national highways are Bhiwani-Mundhal-Jind-Meerut, Hisar-Adampur-Mansa-Bathinda, Jind-Safidon-Panipat, Titram Mod Kaithal-Hisar-Rajgarh Rajasthan Border, Pehowa-Kurukshetra-Yamunanagar, Khangesra-Kala Amb, Yamunanagar-Paonta Sahib and Ambala-Saha-Shahbad.

Gadkari also announced a three km long elevated highway at Badshahpur in Gurgaon to ease traffic congestion in the area. He also announced to construct a new expressway connecting Haryana, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the gathering at Saha, 60 km from here, he said that the BJP-led central government was giving impetus to national highway projects, involving an investment of Rs 3.80 lakh crore.

He pointed out that one two km national highways were being made daily during the tenure of the UPA government whereas 14 km of highways were being constructed daily in the NDA regime on an average.

"In next five years, national highway works costing Rs.5 lakh crore would be undertaken and it would generate employment opportunities for 50 lakh youth," Gadkari said.