Close on the heels of clearing Rs.12,000 crore all-weather Chardham roads for Uttarakhand, the Centre has again cleared Rs.1,557 crore for the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh National Highway to boost connectivity in Kumaon region of the hill state. The sanction to the long-awaited project was recently granted after the state’s CM secured clearance from the Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. The construction of the 148 km NH-125 will improve road connectivity in the Kumaon region in a significant way, and the project will be completed by 2020 and will be executed simultaneously with the Chardham project, said sources. As per the original plan for NH-125, there will be 23 bridges, 13 bus bays, three truck bays, 1,086 culverts and three wayside amenities on the route for the benefit of the highway users.