Pathankot-Mandi NH in a state of neglect

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, September 6

The widening of the Pathankot-Mandi highway to four lanes has been delayed inordinately, but the condition of the existing old stretch has worsened. Travelling on the potholed highway has become tough, particularly during the monsoon.

There are 15 narrow bridges between Kangra and Mandi on this road. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has not replaced or repaired these bridges. The situation worsened during the current rainy season and traffic jams became a regular feature as these bridges are narrow.

Most of the bridges were constructed during the British rule. Despite the fact that there has been a manifold increase in traffic, nothing much has been done to replace or widen these bridges.

It is also one of the busiest highways in the northern region. It is used by thousands of vehicles daily going to Mandi, Kullu, Manali, Leh, Ladakh and Shimla, but there is no plan to widen or replace these narrow bridges with new ones. After the NHAI changed the alignment of the new four-lane road between Kangra and Mandi, the old highway, which is used by thousands of persons daily, is in a state of neglect.

The old bridges have already outlived their life and the foundations of many of them had washed away in floods. A single-lane bridge with a narrow curve near Mattor (Kangra) and Kalu Di Hatti (Palampur) on the highway has become prone to accidents.

Bridges in bad shape

There are 15 bridges in a bad shape between Kangra and Mandi on the Pathankot road but the NHAI is yet to replace or repair them.

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