Kiratpur-Nerchowk four lane likely to be thrown open after June 15, will cut Delhi-Manali travel time from 14 hours to 10 hours

Bilaspur, May 22

The Prime Minister’s Office has sought a progress report on the four-lane construction between Kiratpur and Nerchowk, which is likely to be thrown open to the public after June 15, former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the road stretch, which will shorten the distance from Kiratpur in Punjab to Manali in Himachal Pradesh by around 38 km, Thakur said in a statement issued here.

The travel time from New Delhi to Manali would also be reduced from 14 hours to 10 hours once the road stretch is ready, the Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly added.

Five small and big tunnels and 22 main and 14 small bridges are being constructed on this stretch, Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Rai had said earlier.

Thakur said 98 per cent of the construction work for the Kiratpur-Nerchowk is over and a date for its inauguration will be finalised soon.

Modi will be accompanied by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for the unveiling event, the statement added.