Pathankot-Mandi highway stretch becomes black spot for motorists

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, July 17

A 10-km stretch of the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway, between the Nalti Pul to Kalu Di Hatti near the Agro Petrol Pump on the outskirts of Palampur, has become a virtual death trap. Several fatal mishaps have taken place on the stretch. However, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which looks after the maintenance of the highway, is yet to take remedial measures. A bridge with a narrow curve opposite to a petrol pump on the highway has become a major black spot for motorists. At times, in the absence of crash barriers, light vehicles and two-wheelers fall into khuds when traffic flow is heavy.

There has been a manifold increase in traffic on the highway, but the NHAI has not initiated steps to replace the half dozen narrow bridges with bigger ones. According to official sources, seven persons have lost their lives on the stretch in the past in two years. A senior engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), while talking to The Tribune, said the bridge and the road were constructed during the British-era. Since then, no maintenance work had been undertaken for its repair and rennovation.

The Pathankot-Mandi NH is one of the busiest highways in the northern region and thousands of vehicles ply on it every day. The bridges have already outlived their life span and the foundations of many of them have been washed away in floods. Earlier, it was expected that with the construction of a four-lane highway, new bridges would also come up on it.

However, with the change in the alignment of the four-lane highway, Palampur, Maranda, Baijnath, Paprola and Joginder Nagar towns have been bypassed. Now, the NHAI will not use the 65-km stretch of the old highway. As such, there is little hope that new bridges will be built.

Meanwhile, NHAI sources say the old highway will not be touched as the main focus is on the construction of the 65-km four-lane highway with a new alignment between Paror and Padhar, avoiding congested areas and the narrow old stretch.

Residents alleged that since then, the NHAI changed the alignment of the proposed new four-lane, it had neglected the 40-km stretch of the Pathankot–Mandi NH between Parour and Jogindernagar. Though there was a plan to widen the highway to four lanes, no headway had been made and the condition of the highway had gone from bad to worse, they added.

British-era constructions

• There has been a manifold increase in traffic on the highway, but the NHAI has not initiated steps to replace the half dozen narrow bridges with bigger ones.
• According to official sources, seven persons have lost their lives on the stretch in the past in two years.
• The bridges have already outlived their life span and the foundations of many of them have been washed away in floods.
• A senior engineer of the Public Works Department said the bridge and the road were constructed during the British-era. Since then, no maintenance work had been undertaken for their repair and rennovation.