Page 46 - Trafficinfratech Magazine April 2023 Digital Edition

INFRASTRUCTURE

Due to heavy snow fall, heavy
winds and avalanches, the pass
used to normally close by October/
November and re-open only by April/
May in the yesteryears with the total
closure time averaging almost five to
six months. However, in 2020, due
to the operational necessity along
the Northern Borders, BRO was
given the responsibility to keep the
pass open till the end of December
which was done in an efficient
manner by the organisation, fighting
against all odds. True to its name,
BRO not only kept the pass open
till the end of December but also
ensured early opening of the pass
in the month of Feb/Mar. Ever
since, defying life-threatening odds,
BRO has been constantly working
towards truncating the road closure
period, which till recent past was
anything up to 150 days. In 2021
the pass was closed only for 110
days in winters. In 2022, Zojila Pass
was kept open till as late as January
4 and was re- opened in just 73 days,
a feat hitherto unimaginable. This
year, the pass remained trafficable
till as late as Jan 6 2023, thereby
creating a new historic precedence
of its kind. BRO Srinagar-Zojila-Leh
(NH-1) on March 16 for traffic after
a record closure time of just 68 Days.

46 TrafficInfraTech / April 2023 / www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com