No change in alignment of Pathankot-Mandi 4-lane project

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, December 17

The Project Director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Vikas Surjewala, yesterday denied there was a possibility of changes in the alignment of the 219-km strategically important Pathankot-Mandi four-lane highway project.

The earlier plan

Initially, the NHAI was considering changing the alignment from Palampur to Mandi due to an inadequate traffic inflow, but considering the strategic importance of the Pathankot-Mandi highway, which leads to Leh and Ladakh, it decided to build four lanes on this stretch.

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Surjewala, while talking to The Tribune, said that no alteration in the original detailed project reports (DPRs) from Paror (Palampur) to Mandi had been made for converting the proposed four lanes into two lanes.

He said that only Phase 5(A) — under which there is a 19-km stretch from Padhar to Bizni in Mandi district — would have two lanes, as per the original DPR, and the work had been awarded to a construction company.

“All nine phases of the highway, barring 5(A), will comprise four lanes. The DPR of Phase 2(B) comprising a 13.8-km stretch from Rajol to Thannpur in Kangra district; Phase 3, comprising a 29-km road from Paror to Chotra; and Phase 4, comprising a 34-km stretch from Chotra to Padhar in Mandi district, are under the process of getting the final approval of the NHAI,” he added.

Initially, the NHAI was considering changing the alignment from Palampur to Mandi due to an inadequate traffic inflow but considering the strategic importance of the highway connecting to Leh and Ladakh, it decided to build four lanes on this stretch.

Official NHAI sources revealed that the construction of Phase 1(A), Kandwal to Mao (28.7 km); Phase 1(B), Mao to Seuni (8.33km); and Phase 2-(A), Seuni to Rajol (18.45 km), is in progress while tenders have been awarded for the construction of Phase-2(C), Thankpuri to Paror (16.27 km); Phase 5(A), Padhar to Bizni (19 km); and Phase 5(B), Bizni to Mandi (5.4 km). In some phases, the construction companies are awaiting forest clearance under the Forest Right Act to start groundwork on the four-lane project.