Rohtang Pass to be re-opened for traffic this week
April 11th, 2010 - 8:23 pm ICT by IANSShimla, April 11 (IANS) The Rohtang Pass, the crucial road link between Manali in Kullu district and Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh, would be re-opened for vehicular traffic this week, an official said Sunday.
The pass has been closed for traffic since Dec 10 last year due to heavy snowfall in the region, which is an annual feature.
“The snow clearing operation that started March 2 is likely to be over by end of this week. With this, the road connectivity with the Lahaul Valley would be restored,” S.K. Doon, commander of General Reserve Engineering Force’s (GREF) 38 Task Force, told IANS on the phone from Manali.
The GREF is a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains the highway.
“We are now clearing snow on the last five-km stretch. This is a crucial phase as the icy stretch is slippery and sometimes high velocity winds make the job really tough for our men,” he said.
The majestic Rohtang Pass, located 52 km from Manali, lies on the Manali-Leh National Highway-21.
An official of the BRO said the entire stretch of the 475 km Manali-Leh highway would be re-opened for the traffic by mid of May.
The Manali-Leh highway passes through the most rugged and inhospitable terrain. The highway plays an important role for the movement of the armed forces to the forward areas in Ladakh.
- Rohtang Pass reopens after five months - May 25, 2011
- Rohtang Pass re-opens for traffic - Apr 14, 2010
- Snow clearing work begins on Manali-Leh highway - Mar 03, 2010
- Snow clearing work begins on Manali-Leh highway - Mar 01, 2011
- Time for pulsating action on Himachal highway - Jun 09, 2011
- Temperatures up, yet Himachal's Lahaul Valley snowbound - Apr 12, 2010
- Stuck since December, they await Himalayan road's reopening - May 24, 2011
- Over 150 stranded in Himachal hills - Jun 10, 2010
- Manali-Leh highway closed after landslides - Aug 06, 2010
- Manali-Leh highway partially reopened - Jun 01, 2011
- Manali-Leh highway reopens for traffic - Jun 07, 2010
- Tourists evacuated from Rohtang Pass - Jul 11, 2011
- Manali-Keylong highway reopens - Jun 11, 2010
- Through mountain of snow, they open road to Lahaul (Feature with image) - Apr 27, 2012
- Avoid Manali-Leh highway, snowfall likely - Oct 23, 2011
Tags: armed forces, border roads, bro, connectivity, doon, forward areas, heavy snowfall, high velocity, inhospitable terrain, job, lahaul and spiti district, lahaul valley, manali, snow clearing, task force, vehicular traffic