Manali- Srinagar trip via Atal Tunnel in few hours by 2023

MANALI: Reaching Srinagar from Manali in a few hours via Atal Tunnel will be possible by next year as Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is double-laning the old Tandi-Kishtwar state highway that provides a shorter road axis between Himachal and J&K.
The Manali-Srinagar road via Atal Tunnel and Kishtwar is nearly 150km shorter than the traditional Manali-Jammu-Srinagar road which is 650km. Given its strategic importance and difficult geography, the Tandi-Kishtwar road was taken over by BRO. The road, which has gained notoriety of being the worst and dangerous road in Himachal, is used rarely by people. The road remained ignored for years. But BRO had undertaken the task to cut the mountains to widen the road and make it as smooth as other highways.

38 Border Road Task Force (38 BRTF) commander Col Shabarish Vachali said 94 Road Construction Company (94 RCC) stationed here is given the task to make the road smoother from Tandi near Keylong to Sansari before Kishtwar. "The road widening work is under progress in multiple stages. The road quality has been improved now. Some stretches have been double-laned. The entire road will be made wide and smooth in a few months," he said.

This road is notorious for flashfloods and landslides. The Commander said BRO was first handling the bad sections. At some places, BRO is cutting 90 degree vertical mountain faces to make the road. The valley extends from Chenab river up to high altitude glacial peaks. While 94 RCC of BRO is looking after the road up to Sansari in Himachal, the remaining section beyond Sansari in J&K is being looked after by 118 RCC of 35 BRTF. "The road building work is continuing on war footings. Three bridges are also under construction. Both widening and blacktopping works are under progress," he said.