Manali: Forget the serpentine roads in the hill state of Himachal. The Kiratpur-Manali four lanes are almost ready for speed and thrill. About 99 percent work has been completed and preparations are on to start it officially after June 15. However, heavy traffic is already being observed on the four lanes. Presently the construction work is going on in Zakatkhana and Thapna.
The journey from Chandigarh to Manali will now be completed in just four to four and a half hours. Now one will not have to go via Bilaspur and Chandigarh to reach Manali. Vehicles will pass through the first four-lane tunnel between Kiratpur and Swarghat, and then continue towards Sundernagar via Jurypatan. Due to this, the drivers will get relief from the jam in Swarghat and Bilaspur and will also save time and fuel.
All five tunnels of the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane have been entirely completed and are ready for the movement of traffic. The construction of a flyover is in progress at Zakatkhana. Two dual lanes are being built here. The construction work of one flyover is almost nearing completion. Vehicles are passing through the service lane in Zakatkhana as two lanes of this bridge are ready & work will be completed before the inauguration. Sign boards, lights, and painting work are being done on the four lanes. There will be two toll plazas on the four lanes – toll plazas have been built at Baloh on the border of Mandi and Bilaspur and Moda in Punjab. There will be a facility for digital and cash payments on tolls.
The work of both the toll plazas on the four-lane is almost complete. This toll plaza will consist of seven lanes. Five lanes will have FASTag and cash payment facilities, while two lanes will be for emergency vehicles and toll-exempt vehicles. NHAI will manage toll collection from Delhi. After this, the rates of toll tax will also be fixed. The National Highway Authority has named the four-lane NH-154. However, some parts of it will also come under the old National Highway 205. NH 205 includes the section from Kiratpur to Garamora and Bhawana to Nerchowk, while the new section will be designated as NH 154. Modi will inaugurate- The National Highways Authority has written a letter to the Union Ministry of Transport for the inauguration of the Kiratpur-Nerchowk four-lane. Although the date of inauguration has not been fixed yet, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has informed through social media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the four-lane.
36,235 saplings will be planted for beautification. NHAI will plant 36, 235 saplings from Kiratpur to Nerchowk for beautification of the project. Out of this, 27,712 saplings have been planted. The distance from Kiratpur to Nerchowk will be reduced by 37 kilometers. Presently the distance from Kiratpur to Nerchowk is 114 km, but after the completion of the four lanes, this distance will be reduced by 37 km to 77 km. Drivers will experience relief from sharp turns.
This journey will be completed in an hour, whereas previously it took three and a half hours to cover this journey. Rs 4200 crores spent, took 10 years – It cost more than Rs 4200 crores to complete the four-lane, while it took 10 years for the construction. NHAI completed this project. The work started in the year 2013. In the year 2017, the work stopped due to the bankruptcy of the construction company. Work has been stopped for three years. Four lanes will pass through 05 tunnels and 37 bridges – Five tunnels have been built in the project. Among these, the largest tunnel is Garamora 1800 meters, Tehra Tunnel 1265 meters, Bhawana Tunnel 740 meters, Tunhu Tunnel 550 meters, and the smallest tunnel Baghchhal 465 meters.
All the tunnels are two lanes ready. The tender process is ongoing for the construction of four parallel tunnels, while work is also in progress for the parallel tunnel of the Garamod tunnel. Its work will also be completed in a year. A total of 37 bridges have been built in the project. Of these, there are 22 major and 15 minor bridges. The construction of four lanes is creating employment opportunities. People are building shops, restaurants, and hotels along the four-lane, taking advantage of the increased connectivity and potential business opportunities it brings.
Sanjay Dutta, an engineer by qualification but is a journalist by choice.
He has worked for the premier new agency Press Trust of India and leading English daily Indian Express.
With more than a decade of experience, he has been highlighting issues related to environment, tourism and other aspects affecting mountain ecology.
Sanjay Dutta lives in a village close to Manali in Kullu valley of Himachal.
Very nice and informative blog Sanjay sir. Would like to meet you on our next visit to Manali.