A long-stalled infrastructure project crucial to the industrial belt of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana has received a fresh lease of life.

The executive committee of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has approved Rs 598 crore for completing the remaining work on the four-laning of the Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh national highway, raising expectations that construction could resume soon.

The project had suffered a major setback when Gujarat-based Patel Infrastructure Limited withdrew in June 2025 after completing only 45% of the work over 39 months. The company attributed its exit to persistent hurdles, including delays in land acquisition and challenges in shifting high-tension power lines and gas pipelines. However, the slow pace of progress in preceding months had already signalled trouble, with the project unlikely to meet its extended August deadline.

Despite initiating the re-tendering process in September 2025, the NHAI faced procedural bottlenecks. The absence of approval stalled bid invitations for nearly eight months, prolonging uncertainty around the project's future.

Project Director Anand Dahiya confirmed that the executive committee cleared the balance work during its April 17 meeting. The proposal now awaits final approval from the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. Officials indicated that fresh bids will be invited by the end of this month, with the contract award expected to take around three months. Completion of the remaining work could take up to two years.

The 36-km highway stretch, with 17.37 km in Himachal Pradesh and the rest in Haryana, is a critical link for one of the region's busiest industrial hubs. The upgraded road will include 104 culverts, 16 minor bridges and five major bridges. Key structures such as flyovers and bridges are already in advanced stages of construction.