NHAI plans Mandi-Pandoh 2-lane tunnel

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, September 28

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has planned to construct a 2-km long, single-tube double-lane tunnel between Mandi and Pandoh on the Kiratpur-Manali national highway in Mandi district.

Traffic on Kiratpur NH restored up to Manali

The NHAI has asked a consulting agency to do a feasibility study for the tunnel on the Mandi-Pandoh road stretch. The under-construction Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway was damaged between Mandi and Pandoh due frequent landslides and flashfloods during the ongoing rainy season.

According to experts, deep vertical cutting of hills by the NHAI for the construction of a four-lane road between Mandi and Pandoh is the main reason for major landslides, which damaged the road badly. As a result, traffic movement was affected badly for days and commuters suffered a lot.

Varun Chari, Director of the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway project, said, “During the rainy season this year, cloudbursts occurred between Mandi and Pandoh at the Jagar nullah, Sambal nullah and two other places and huge slush flowed onto the road. It was beyond our control to handle the situation.”

He said, “Now, the NHAI has planned to construct a 2-km single-tube double-lane tunnel beyond 6 Miles towards Pandoh on the Kiratpur-Manali highway. A consulting agency has been asked to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) of the tunnel and also study its feasibility. Besides, the agency will check the feasibility of bridges in the area to ensure better road connectivity. However, the construction of the tunnel will depend on the report of the agency.”

Chari said, “The NHAI has restored the highway between Mandi and Manali in the shortest period though it was badly damaged. Volvo buses reached Manali today. Our workforce worked day and night to restore the highway at the earliest.”

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