Heavy vehicles barred from Larji-Jalori stretch of NH-305 to ease congestion

Our Correspondent

Kullu, April 13

The district administration has decided to regulate the movement of heavy vehicles from Larji to Jalori on NH-305 from April 10, in order to ease the traffic burden on this stretch and address the problem of recurring traffic jams.

A meeting to discuss the frequent and severe traffic jams on NH-305 from Larji to Jalori was held under the chairmanship of Banjar SDM Pankaj Sharma on April 8 with officers and various stakeholders.

Kandugad-Aut Stretch to be widened this year

Work for widenening of 31-km stretch from Sainj to Kandugad is underway. Widening of the remaining portion from Kandugad to Aut, excluding the proposed tunnel underneath the Jalori Pass, will be carried out during this financial year. Land is being acquired for it between Sainj and Kandugad, and work on Kandugad-Aut will start after Lok Sabha elections. — KL Suman, Executive Engineer

After discussing the problem, and keeping in view the upcoming tourist season, SDM Banjar issued orders to restrict the movement of trucks, dumpers, tippers and other heavy vehicles on NH-305 (Larji to Jalori) from 8 am to 11 am and 1 pm to 9 pm, till further orders. Vehicles on emergency duty and other essential service are exempt from the restrictions.

Residents rued that the narrow road from Banjar to Jalori was the cause of frequent traffic jams.

Mukesh, a resident of Jibhi village, said nearly a decade has passed since the road was given the status of a national highway, but its condition was more like that of a link road. “Since 2007, the residents have been urging the government to widen the road. The residents have also been demanding repairs and re-tarring of the road for a long time,” he added.

The highway connects the outer Seraj valley with the district headquarters at Kullu. Residents of Kullu, Anni, Rampur and tourists visiting the Banjar valley use this road to travel to Jalori, Raghupur and Serolsar lake.

The National Highway Wing of the Public Works Department has initiated the process of widening the 120-km Aut-Luhri-Sainj NH-305. KL Suman, Executive Engineer (EE), National Highway Wing, said the NH-305 was being widened in a phased manner. He said the alignment of the road was finalised in 2017.

The EE said the process to widen the 31-km long stretch from Sainj to Kandugad was underway in the first phase. “The widening of the remaining portion from Kandugad to Aut, excluding the proposed tunnel underneath the Jalori Pass, will be carried out during this financial year,” he said.

Suman added that the land acquisition process for the Sainj-Kandugad stretch was in progress, while work on the Kandugad-Aut stretch would start after the Lok Sabha elections.

He added that already sanctioned work of tarring the road between Anni and Jalori Pass would be completed and the rest of the stretch would be repaired by undertaking patch-work.

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