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The Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway in Bilaspur district has been closed beyond Mandi Bharari Chowk following continuous rockfall near Mehla. Traffic has been diverted through Swarghat and Nauni Chowk to maintain movement between Chandigarh and destinations including Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Kullu and Manali. The closure comes during a period of heavy monsoon activity in Himachal Pradesh, when several roads have been affected by landslides and other weather-related disruptions. The highway is a key connectivity route to Manali and also has strategic importance for onward access towards Leh-Ladakh.
The Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district has been closed to vehicular traffic beyond Mandi Bharari Chowk after continuous rockfall near the Mehla area. The incident has disrupted movement between Chandigarh, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Kullu and Manali, with authorities diverting traffic through alternative routes to maintain connectivity.
Rocks began falling onto the highway on Sunday afternoon, following which the road was closed as a safety measure. Police and local authorities have advised motorists to use the designated diversion routes and follow instructions from traffic personnel deployed in the area.
For vehicles travelling towards Chandigarh from Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi and Kullu, traffic has been diverted from Nauni Chowk towards Mandi Bharari Bridge and then through Swarghat. Vehicles travelling from Chandigarh towards Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Mandi, Kullu and Manali have similarly been diverted through Swarghat to Nauni Chowk before rejoining the four-lane highway.
The disruption comes during a period of active monsoon conditions in Himachal Pradesh, when heavy rainfall can increase the risk of rockfall, landslides and road blockages in mountainous areas. The state has been witnessing multiple weather-related road disruptions, with more than 100 roads reported closed across the state during the latest spell of adverse weather.
The Kiratpur-Manali highway is an important road link connecting Chandigarh with Bilaspur, Sundernagar, Mandi, Kullu and Manali. It is also strategically important because the route provides connectivity towards Leh-Ladakh. The four-laning project was planned across difficult mountainous terrain, involving tunnels, bridges, realignments and bypasses to improve connectivity through the region.
The highway has faced landslide and slope-related challenges in the past. The National Highways Authority of India had constituted an expert committee involving specialists, including experts from IIT Mandi and IIT Roorkee, to assess damage and identify restoration measures for damaged and landslide-prone sections of the Kiratpur-Manali highway. The committee had also suggested exploring an alternative alignment for a section between Nerchowk and Pandoh to reduce extensive hill cutting.
The issue of slope stability has remained important because parts of the highway pass through areas vulnerable to heavy rainfall and landslides. Government documents on the project note that the road passes through rolling and mountainous terrain and involves substantial tunnelling and realignment work because of the area's difficult conditions.
Authorities have not indicated a permanent solution to the latest rockfall-related closure in the reports available so far. Traffic management is currently focused on keeping vehicles away from the affected stretch until conditions are considered safe for movement.
The latest closure once again highlights the operating challenges faced by major highway projects in the Himalayan region. While the four-laning of the route has improved road connectivity between Chandigarh and the Kullu-Manali region, maintaining uninterrupted movement during the monsoon remains dependent on slope stability, timely clearance and safe management of vulnerable stretches.
Source PTI
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