51km of Mana Pass road to be widened, will help in troop movement and boost tourism

NEW DELHI: The government has approved widening of the 51-km of highway from Mana village near Badrinath to Mana Pass in Uttarakhand, the link that goes up to the India-China border. The road will be widened to two lanes for better and faster movement of troops and will be complete in 3-4 years. Mana is the last village near the Sino-Indian border.
Sources said the road transport and highways ministry has approved Rs 574 crore for the project and it will be implemented by the Border Road Organisation (BRO). PM Narendra Modi is likely to lay the foundation stone for the project next week when he will be at Badrinath and Mana for other programmes.
Currently, the stretch is barely motorable in some portions. It was declared National Highway in January this year. "The design speed of the road will be 40 kmph and with widening, realignments and treatment of vulnerable locations, Army vehicles can take this stretch throughout the year. The widened road will have the capacity for 1,500 PCUs and can meet the requirement of more than 15 years," said a source. Officials said this will boost religious tourism to Deo Taal and give a boost to trekking activities and mountaineering expeditions.