After 21 days, Kullu-Manali road temporarily opened for traffic

After 21 days of isolation, residents of Manali and the Ujhi Valley finally breathed a sigh of relief as the damaged 38-km stretch of the Kullu–Manali National Highway was temporarily reopened to traffic today.

The vital road link had been washed away at multiple points following flooding in Beas river on August 26, cutting off the popular hill station from the rest of Himachal Pradesh.

While narrow and congested alternative routes on the Left Bank had kept traffic moving, they caused frequent jams and a lot of hardships to commuters. Authorities have now restored one-way movement at the damaged sections. Vehicles heading from Manali to Kullu continue to use the Left Bank road, while return traffic is routed along the repaired highway on the Right Bank.

The reopening has brought much-needed relief to local agriculturists and tourism sector. Hoteliers, travel agents and taxi operators have warned that unless the road is reinforced to accommodate heavy vehicles like luxury buses, the tourism industry will continue to suffer. Local representatives have urged the Centre to prioritise permanent strengthening of the highway.

Officials say efforts are underway to restore full two-way traffic soon.

The reopening, though welcome, underscores a troubling pattern, repeated destruction and hurried repairs. In the 2025 monsoon alone, landslides and floods damaged multiple stretches of the Kullu-Manali NH. Similar devastation occurred in 2023, when torrential rains shattered the highway at nearly 13 places. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in 2016, had commenced the job of two-laning of the 38-km-long stretch between Ramshila to Manali through the Right Bank and it was completed in 2019, after which the toll plaza at Dohlunala became operational.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has criticised the planning of Himalayan infrastructure projects, noting that many Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are drafted without proper field studies, leading to recurring collapses at the same vulnerable spots. He called for more scientific construction methods, stronger slope protection and disaster-resilient engineering.