Kandaghat tunnel’s alignment not being changed: Himachal minister Vikramaditya Singh
Shimla, April 3
Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh today said in the Vidhan Sabha that there was no proposal to change the alignment of a tunnel being constructed at Kandaghat on the Shimla-Parwanoo highway, which is being widened to four lanes.
Footpaths to be built
We are identifying areas where footpaths should be constructed. The PWD alone is not responsible for the work and other agencies are also involved in it. Vikramaditya Singh, PWD minister
Vikramaditya was replying to a question asked by Una MLA Satpal Satti under Rule 62 that whether there was any move to change the alignment of the tunnel at Kandaghat. “It will not only delay the project but will also result in wastage of funds and cause inconvenience to people. Will the government fix responsibility for not assessing the situation beforehand,” Satti said. He added that 90 per cent of the work on the 460 m tunnel had been completed.
Vikramaditya said, “The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is executing the road widening work. The NHAI has apprised me about the case. Around 72 per cent of the work on the 460 m tunnel at Kandaghat has been completed. The target time for the completion of the project is January 2024.
He said, “The proposal to extend the portal 1 of the tunnel by 207 m, which will increase its length to 667 m, is under the consideration of the NHAI. It will increase the project cost by Rs 50 crore.” On the issue of the vulnerability of pedestrians to road accidents, the minister said that a joint initiative had been taken along with the police to identify black spots.
