5 national highways sanctioned for Himachal,2 more in pipeline

This will add additional road length of 494.875 km to the national highway network of the state. There are 11 national highways in the state at present.

The five new highways would include Hamirpur-Sujanpur-Palampur (59.775 km); Brahmpukhar-Bilaspur-Ghumarwin-Sarkaghat-Lad Bhadol-Baijnath; Bharmour-Chamba-Dalhousie-Pathankot (133 km); Taradevi-Jubbarhatti-Kunihar-Ramshehar-Nalagarh-Ghanauli (106.4 km) and Chandigarh-PGI (Baddi) Punjab Pokhran-Nalagarh-Ramshehar-Arki-Shalaghat (83.9 km),said an official spokesperson of the government in Shimla today.

The chief minister said since Himachal had a difficult topography it deserved special attention from the Centre in the matter of road transport as this was the main mode of communication in the state.

In a statement issued on Tuesday,Dhumal said: “The Union minister has also agreed to sanction two more proposed national highways — Slappar-Pandoh-Chail Chowk-Karsog-Tattapani-Dhalli and the Sainj-Luhari-Banjar-Aut-Bagidhar — in the second phase.”

The state will get funds from the National Highway Authority of India for execution of the new routes.

The government has also requested the Union ministry to hand over the improvement and maintenance of the Sansari Nallah-Killar-Thirot road to Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The BRO had constructed the road and had initially took care of the improvement and maintenance work.

Development of parking space in Shimla,a ropeway between the inter-state bus terminus and Tutikandi,elevated transport system,high security registration plates,upgrade and strengthening of emergency and trauma facilities on national highways were the other issues taken up with the Union ministry.