Page 47 - Trafficinfratech Magazine April 2023 Digital Edition

INFRASTRUCTURE
Manali-Leh Axis
Leh-Manali Highway (NH3) is a
427 km long strategic highway
connecting Ladakh to the rest of
India via Manali. The highway is
strategic for the movement of the
armed forces and their logistics to
forward areas in Ladakh region
along our Northern borders, in
addition to connecting the people
of Ladakh to the rest of the country,
the highway is an alternate axis to
the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Highway
(NH-1). With onset of winters
and snow accumulation, the
Leh- Manali highway traditionally this strategic road on Mar 25 this
remains closed from November year with a record closure of 138
end till it is opened by the BRO days as against 144 days in 2022.
karmyogis. The entire 427 km
road was cleared of snow by BRO Road Nimmu- Padum-
frontline Project Himank in Ladakh Darcha
and Deepak in Himachal Pradesh,
whose snow clearance teams have The third axis, Nimmu-Padum-
Darcha Road axis is being looked
worked with great synergy to open after by BRO Poject Yojak. This
the treacherous route in a record
time. This challenging operation project has also set another record
by re-opening the mighty Shinkula
commenced from two extremities Pass just after a closure period
of the road by two different teams of 55 days. Amidst the freezing
comprising skilled manpower and
temperature at 16,580ft, the
state-of-the-art machines. Project Karmyogis of the Border Roads
Deepak undertook the operation Organisation toiled day and
from Manali to Sarchu (Border of night to restore the connectivity
Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh) of Zanskar Valley in Ladakh with
and Project Himank clearing the Lahaul Spiti Valley of Himachal
highway from Leh to Sarchu. Pradesh. Last year the pass was
Karmyogis of both the Projects closed for almost five months and
worked in extremely challenging was opened on 17th April 2022.
conditions in snow storms and However, this year the pass was
extreme temperatures with paucity kept open till January last week
of oxygen along the high altitude and only after a long spell of heavy
areas to clear the highway. They snowfall the pass was closed. It
also negotiated and cleared four is also pertinent to note that, to
important and high altitude passes overcome the travel along the
including the Baralacha La (15910 treacherous Shinkula Pass and to
ft), Nakee La (15547 ft), Lachung provide an all-weather connectivity
La (16616 ft) and Tanglang La along this axis, a 4.1km long
(17482 ft), a challenge in itself. A Shinkula Tunnel has been approved
significant time of snow clearance for construction along the strategic
was consumed in clearance of Nimmu- Padum- Darcha road.
these high mountain passes where
the precipitation was high and the This pursuit of excellence and
teams encountered snow walls of constant reduction in the closure
height in excess of 10-15 feet. of the pass is a direct reflection
of BRO’s relentless commitment
In the previous years, the Manali- towards nation building. BRO
Leh Highway was opened in the has successfully opened Zojila
month of May/June, thereby and Rajdan passes in Ladakh
reducing the land connectivity and Jammu & Kashmir (UTs) in
available to the residents of Ladakh record times. The early opening of
and incoming tourists. BRO, with Manali-Leh Highway also augurs
the renewed focus on early opening propitious times for the tourism
of all strategic roads and passes which is the major source of living
has been progressively reducing for the people of Leh, Lahaul and
the closure duration and opening Spiti valleys. The travellers and
the roads and passes earlier than adventure seekers from all over the
the previous years. BRO has broken world can now rush to these places
its own record in 2023, by opening as early as March.
www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com / April 2023 / TrafficInfraTech 47