Blocked roads to be restored soon: Minister

Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh today said that roads blocked due to recent snowfall would be reopened for vehicular traffic as soon as possible.

Vikramaditya, while addressing mediapersons here, said that around 350 roads in the state were blocked due to snowfall that occurred on December 23. “To restore these roads, the PWD has deployed 268 machines (70 JCB, 13 robos, 13 bulldozers, 76 tippers and 96 others) at various locations,” he added.

He said that 235 roads were reopened today and 80 to 85 more roads were expected to be restored by December 25. “The remaining roads will be opened for traffic within two to three days,” he added.

Vikramaditya said that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was committed to making Himachal Pradesh a premier tourist destination. “Following the recent snowfall, thousands of tourists from across the country and abroad are visiting the state. The Public Works Department is working diligently to ensure they face no inconvenience due to the snowfall,” he added.

The minister said that he held a virtual meeting with PWD officers and directed them to expedite the restoration and repair of roads and remain fully prepared in the coming days. He added that under the Central Road Fund (CRF), Rs 110 crore was allocated for various projects for 2024-25. However, an additional Rs 50 crore was needed to complete these projects.

He said that he would request Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to ensure there were no obstacles in completing these works.

Meanwhile, 226 roads, including four national highways, remained closed due to snowfall across the state. Of these, 145 roads, including National Highway-05 at Narkanda, remained closed in Shimla district, highest in the state, followed by 25 in Kullu, and 20 in Mandi district. Similarly, 20 roads remained closed in Mandi district12 in Kinnaur, nine in Sirmaur, six in Kangra, three including National Highway-505 in Lahaul and one in Chamba district. Besides, three roads in Una district also remained closed due to bridge construction.