Palampur-Hamirpur highway faces decades-long neglect

The 70-km Palampur-Hamirpur state highway, a lifeline connecting Palampur to major cities like Shimla, Chandigarh, Delhi and others, has been in a state of neglect for years. Despite being one of the busiest roads in the region, it remains narrow and in dire need of widening to accommodate the high volume of traffic.

With the opening of the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane road, this route has become a popular shortcut to Chandigarh, reducing travel time from six hours to four-and-a-half hours and distance by 60 km. However, the highway’s width has remained unchanged for over 30 years, causing inconvenience to commuters and local residents.

Although the road was briefly declared a national highway in 2017, the notification was later withdrawn. The Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (HPPWD) has since sought funds amounting to Rs 187 crore from the Ministry of Road and Surface Transport to upgrade the highway to a two-lane road. A detailed project report (DPR) has already been submitted to the Ministry.

According to Rajesh Chopra, officiating Executive Engineer PWD, Bhawarna Division, the HPPWD is eager to upgrade the highway. Gokul Butail, Information and Technology adviser to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, assured that the CM is taking personal interest in the project, having directed the preparation of the DPR. Butail emphasised the need for immediate widening of the road, citing the high traffic volume.

Himachal Tribune