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After 21 Days, Kullu–Manali Highway Temporarily Reopens to Traffic
After 21 days of isolation, residents of Manali and the Ujhi Valley have finally breathed a sigh of relief as the damaged 38-kilometer stretch of the Kullu–Manali National Highway was temporarily reopened to traffic today.
The vital road link was washed away in multiple places following flash floods in the Beas River on August 26, cutting off this popular hill station from the rest of Himachal Pradesh.
Although traffic continued through narrow and congested alternative routes on the left bank, frequent jams and long delays caused significant inconvenience to travelers. Authorities have now restored one-way traffic on the damaged sections. Vehicles traveling from Manali toward Kullu are using the left-bank road, while traffic returning to Manali is being directed through the repaired section on the right bank.
The reopening of the highway has provided much-needed relief to local farmers and the tourism sector. However, hotel owners, travel agents, and taxi operators have warned that the industry will continue to suffer until the road is strengthened to accommodate heavy vehicles such as luxury buses. Local representatives have urged the central government to prioritize permanent reinforcement of the highway.
Officials stated that efforts are underway to fully restore two-way traffic in the near future.
While the reopening is a welcome development, it also highlights a troubling pattern of recurrent damage and hurried repairs. In the 2025 monsoon alone, landslides and floods have severely damaged several stretches of the Kullu–Manali highway. A similar disaster struck in 2023 when torrential rains destroyed the highway at nearly 13 locations. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) began upgrading the 38-kilometer stretch between Ramshila and Manali into a two-lane road via the right bank in 2016, completing the work in 2019, after which a toll plaza at Dohlunala was inaugurated.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has criticized planning for Himalayan infrastructure projects, stating that many Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are prepared without adequate regional studies, resulting in repeated collapses in vulnerable areas. He has called for more scientific construction methods, stronger slope protection, and disaster-resistant engineering to ensure long-term safety and resilience.
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