NHAI clears ₹8,000-cr Pathankot-Mandi NH in HP

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has given clearance to the ₹8,000-crore Pathankot-Mandi, four-lane highway project. It has also restarted land acquisition process and is floating a global tender for construction of the project's first phase, between Pathankot and 32 mile in the next two months. A detailed project report has been completed by Joint Ventures and Infrastructure Casta Limited. The alignment of the new highway has been altered and now only a few stretches of the old highway will be used. As per the proposal, eight bypasses, three tunnels, three railway overbridges and three flyovers will be constructed. After completion, the distance between Pathankot and Mandi will be reduced from 219 km to 171 km. Towns like Nurpur, Mattor, Nagrota Bagwan, Palampur, Maranda, Baijnath, Paprola and Joginder Nagar have been bypassed in the new project. Also, tunnels will be constructed between Kotla and Draman, Mattor and Kachhyari, and Bijni and Mandi town.