Manali – Leh Road Status (2024): OPEN (opened on April 23, 2024)
Srinagar – Leh Road Status (2024): OPEN
Darcha-Padum (Zanskar) Road Status (2024): OPEN
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Manali-Leh highway reopens after five months
23 April 2024: The Manali-Leh national highway (NH-3), which was closed for traffic movement since November 20, 2023 following winter snowfall, has been thrown open for military vehicles as Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completed its snow clearance operations on Tuesday (April 23, 2024).
As many stretches of the road are still slippery and narrow, only Indian Army vehicles will be allowed first. As condition improves, the civil administrations of Ladakh and Himachal will take decision to allow civilian vehicles including tourists. The process may take upto a week. However, in case of poor weather conditions and more snowfall, the road can be closed for safety reasons.
The Leh-Srinagar highway is already open. The Manali-Darcha-Padum-Nimmu-Leh road was recently opened. Now the Leh-Manali road is also open. The snow clearance could be possible ahead of time due to two reasons — tireless efforts by BRO teams from Himachal and Ladakh sides and comparatively less winter snowfall.
– Manali Leh Highway (NH3) is a 428 km long strategic highway connecting Ladakh to the rest of India via Manali. The highway is strategic for the movement of the armed forces and their supplies and wares to forward areas in Ladakh region that borders both China and Pakistan, as well as connecting the people of Ladakh to India. The highway is an alternate axis to the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Highway. This road is also popular among tourists.
With onset of winters and snow accumulation the highway remains closed from November end till it is opened by the BRO’s Work Force. The entire snow clearance operations were executed by Project Deepak in Himachal Pradesh and Project Himank in Ladakh working simultaneously and in sync. These challenging operations commenced from two extremities by two different teams comprising skilled manpower and state-of- the-art machines. Project Deepak undertook the operation from Manali to Sarchu (Border of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh) and Project Himank clearing the highway from Leh to Sarchu.
The teams of both the units worked in extremely challenging conditions in snow storms and high-altitude areas to clear the highway. They had to negotiate four important and high altitude passes including the Baralacha La (16040 ft), Nakee La (15547 ft), Lachulung La (16616 ft) and Tanglang La (17482 ft). A significant time of snow clearance was consumed in clearance of these high mountain passes where the precipitation was more and the teams encountered snow walls of height 20-30 feet.
As the two snow clearance teams converged to a common point which is also the inter project boundaries, a ‘Golden Handshake’ ceremony was organized at Sarchu on 23 April 24, in which the Chief Engineer Project Deepak, Shri Navin Kumar, GOLDEN HANDSHAKE CEREMONY SAUNALEGE CE(Civ) presided over the ceremony and declared the highway clear of snow.
The complete team under the dynamic leadership of Col Gaurav Bangari, Commander 38 BRTF, Maj Ravishankar HN, Officer Commanding 70 RCC, Major Sandeep Kumar, 70 RCC spearheaded the operation to complete the snow clearance operations on 21 Apr 2024. The road will be open only for move of Army Logistics convoys at present and the decision to open the road for civil traffic vehicles/ tourists will be taken by District Disaster Management Authorities in subsequent time frame in a phased manner.
This pursuit of excellence and constant reduction in the closure of the pass is a direct reflection of BRO’s relentless commitment towards nation building. These endeavours of BRO have been appreciated by Security Forces, Civil Administration and importantly by the Local Populace using these roads. The opening of Manali-Leh highway also augurs propitious times for the tourism which is the major source of living for the people of Ladakh and Lahaul-Spiti.
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Also, the travellers and adventure seekers from all over the world can now rush to these places in an early timeframe. The Nation owes this to the grit, courage and sacrifice of BRO personnel who have experienced perils of life to execute these important operations. These unsung and mostly unknown heroes are our junior leaders, equipment operators, equipment mechanics, paramedics and Casual Paid Labours, who perform daredevil acts day after day, with unyielding faith in their machines, unwavering trust in each other and a silent prayer on their lips.
They seek no more than a pat on the back for a job well done. The BRO has demonstrated its commitment of Nation First, Always First and lived up to its ethos of “We Will Either Find a Way or Make One”.
The opening of the pass and Manali – Leh Highway will facilitate augmentation of supply of essential goods and services for the people of Ladakh. The team of Project Deepak has displayed sheer grit and dogged determination in braving the subzero temperatures, low oxygen level and toughest terrain conditions, but nothing could stop the indomitable spirit of the “BRO Mountain Warriors” under the inspirational leadership of Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan, VSM, Director General Border Roads.
As on 19 April 2024, Manali-Leh road is closed as Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is clearing snow from the road. The road is clear from Manali to Darcha but Darcha to Taglangla stretch is still blocked with snow. The road is expected to reopen in May.
Shinkula pass reopens: Ladakh’s Zanskar valley connects with Manali
Updated on 4 April 2014
Today on 04 April 2024, Chief Engineer of Project Yojak of BRO, RK Saha declared open mighty ShinkuLa pass which has an altitude of 16558 feet in record 45 days by daredevil team of 126 RCC primarily responsible for opening of ShinkuLa Pass.
The opening of pass has restored the much needed connectivity between Manali and Zanskar region of UT of Ladakh. On the occasion other officers of BRO and Local administration were also present. Shinkula is the only pass on strategically important Nimmu-Padam -Darcha (N-P-D) road which is the third axis connecting Manali to Leh through Darcha, Padam and Nimmu.
The NPD road is not only shorter than the other two axis but also the fact that Shinkula is the only pass on which the tunnel work is about to commence will make it all weather road boosting not only the defence capability but also the socio economic development in the remote Zanskar region of the UT of Ladakh.
In the year 2023 also the pass had been opened by brave personnel of 126 RCC in 55 days to restore connectivity and while doing so even suffered causalities due to one of team getting stuck in avalanche. This year with the previous experience up the sleeve, opening time has been brought down to 45 days without any untoward incidence.
The pass was kept open by carrying out continuous snow clearance till 18 Feb 2024 which thereafter had to be closed due to limited requirement and extreme weather conditions and unprecedented heavy snowfall of approx. 20 feet in the region.
Snow clearance teams from both Darcha and Kargiakh side had been braving the snow blizzards and subzero temperatures for more than 25 days to clear the heavy snow accumulation of upto 20 feet near the pass to restore the connectivity to Zanskar.
Recently on 25th Mar 2024 the connectivity of strategic N-P-D road has also been achieved which marks beginning of a new era of socio economic development of the Zanskar region. N-P-D road is not just about infrastructure and transportation; its about bridging the gap between aspirations and opportunities, its about empowerment and commitment for a better future of Zanskar. It is a testament of BRO’s commitment in shaping a future that is not only brighter but also more connected and inclusive for the entire region of Ladakh.
As on 09 March 2024, most part of the Leh Manali highway is blocked with snow. Two to five feet of more snow has accumulated after recent spells of widespread snowfall in the last 10 days. Please remember, most part of this highway passes 10,000 ft to 15,000 ft above sea level and attaining maximum height of 17,300 ft at Taglang la pass. So, snowfall continues till late April.
As on 20 February 2024, entire length of the Leh-Manali highway is again witnessing heavy snowfall with snow accumulation at many places reaching above 200cm. More snowfall is expected in the next few days.
As on 31 January 2024, the areas in Manali, Lahaul and Ladakh received good amount of snow. The terrains along the Manali-Leh highway are now deep below the snow. Today, the status of the roads was as follows:
- Manali – Keylong highway: Partially Open
- Keylong – Darcha: Open
- Darcha – Sarchu highway: Closed
- Sarchu – Leh highway: Closed
- Srinagar-Leh highway: The road is closing and opening again and again. However, the area near Sonamarg, Drass and Zojila pass received good snow, making traffic movement risky.
- Manali – Rohtang pass: Closed
- Manali – Kunzum – Spiti: Closed
- Darcha – Shinkula pass: Closed
As on 23 December 2023, many places along Manali-Leh highway received fresh snow. The road is already closed for all the vehicles.
As on 18 November 2023, the Leh (Ladakh) administration has issued order that no vehicle shall be allowed to go towards Sarchu/Himachal beyond Upshi check post following icing of the road at high mountain passes from 20 November 2023 onwards.
As on 15 October 2023, the Manali-Leh highway has been declared unsafe for vehicular traffic following snowfall on peaks and slippery road conditions. The police post from Sarchu has been removed by Himachal police.
As on 31 May 2023, the Manali-Leh highway is open for both side traffic. The traffic from Manali towards Sarchu/Leh side will be allowed to cross Darcha check post between 9am and 11am while traffic from Sarchu towards Manali will be allowed to move from Sarchu from 2pm to 4pm.
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As on 23 May 2023, the Manali-Leh highway is open for light motor vehicles (4X4 vehicles or 4X2 with snow chains) from 6am to 9am (from Darcha check post).
As on 23 May 2023, the Manali-Leh highway has been closed for all kinds of vehicles due to inclement weather conditions.
As on 22 May 2023, the Manali-Leh highway is open for light motor vehicles from 6am to 8:30am (from Darcha check post) and heavy motor vehicles (commercial) are allowed from 9:30am to 12pm.
As on 16 May 2023, the Manali-Leh highway has been thrown open for one way local traffic. As road is slippery at some places, Lahaul-Spiti police will allow local vehicles to move beyond Darcha towards Sarchu from 8 AM to 11 AM only with 4X4 (all wheel drive) vehicles or snow chains on tyres of 4X2 vehicles. The officials said the road has been opened to vehicular traffic partially after recommendation from BRO. However, tourists will not be allowed to travel for few more days until road surface becomes safe for general movement. Tourists are being allowing only upto Patseo, nearly 4km beyond Darcha.
As on May 05, 2023, the Srinagar-Leh road is open for one way traffic on alternative days but Manali-Leh road is still closed. As snow clearance on the Manali-Leh highway is continuing on war footing, there is possibility that the highway may open before 15th May. However, opening of the road can be delayed by more snowfall as Weather God is not happy this season.
As on April 19, 2023, fresh snowfall has blocked Srinagar-Leh highway at Zojila pass. The road is expected to reopen in 2-3 days. The Manali-Leh highway is also experiencing snowfall at Atal tunnel, Lahaul and Baralacha. This highway is expected to open for traffic by end of this month.
As on April 15, 2023, the Manali-Ladakh road is closed for all kinds of vehicles beyond Darcha due to avalanche threats. The road is expected to remain closed for a few more days.
As on April 8, 2023, the Manali-Leh highway is closed for all vehicles as snow-clearing works are underway. The Srinagar-Leh highway is open for one-way traffic between Drass and Sonmarg on alternative days.
As on March 25, 2023, the Manali-Leh road is partially connected by the BRO but another spell of fresh snowfall has blocked the road. So, current status of the Manali-Leh road is CLOSED.
As on January 5, 2023, the Manali-Leh road is completely blocked for all types of vehicles. Manali-Leh highway is closed officially from November 7, 2022 till the next summer season of 2023. In the season of 2022, the highway opened partially on 26th March 2022 after first stage snow clearance completed. Light motor vehicles were allowed from 25th April. Trucks (heavy vehicles) and bikes (two wheelers) were also allowed from 30th April. Later in October, Vehicles were allowed to cross the Darcha check post between 9am and 3pm. Now the highway is completely closed for all kinds of vehicles.
- Manali – Keylong highway: Open
- Keylong – Darcha: Open
- Darcha – Sarchu highway: Open
- Sarchu – Leh highway: Open
- Srinagar-Leh highway: Opened on 16th March only for Army movement. Now for one way movement on alternative day.
- Manali – Rohtang pass: Close
- Manali – Kunzum – Spiti: Open
- Darcha – Shinkula pass: Open for 4×4 vehicles.
The Manali-Leh highway was closed for vehicular movement on November 7, 2022 last year following winter snowfall. The road was closed officially beyond Darcha after official notice from District Magistrate of Lahaul-Spiti district as the Manali-Leh highway comes under its jurisdiction from Atal tunnel to Sarchu. As the winter snowfall is continuing, the road will continue to remain blocked throughout the season. The snow clearance works on the highway will remain operational throughout the season between Manali and Darcha. However, the snow clearance on the Darcha-Leh section is expected to start in March. We shall keep you updated about snow clearance progress, the snowfall, and the opening/closing of the highway with regular updates here. The snow clearance on the Manali-Leh highway was completed on 26th March 2022 last year but the highway was not fit for traffic movement. The road was opened to light vehicles on 25 April 2022. This year, the highway is expected to open for general traffic movement by end of April and road will be safe after first week of May 2023.
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Excerpts:
- 31 May 2023: Manali-Leh highway is open for both side traffic from today onwards. The traffic from Manali towards Sarchu/Leh side will be allowed to cross Darcha check post between 9am and 11am while traffic from Sarchu towards Manali will be allowed to move from Sarchu from 2pm to 4pm.
- 16 May 2023: The highway has been thrown open for one way local traffic. Vehicles will be allowed from Darcha police post to move towards Sarchu from 8 AM to 11 AM with snow chains on tyres of 4X2 vehicles (no such requirement for 4X4 vehicles) as road is slippery at many places. Regular traffic movement is expected after a few days. Till then, tourists will be allowed only upto Patseo near Darcha.
- 5 May 2023: The continuous snowfall on higher passes including Baralacha la delayed the opening of the road. The Manali-Leh road is still closed for all vehicles. The highway is expected to be restored for vehicular traffic before May 15 if it doesn’t snow heavily again.
- 19 April 2023: More snowfall has blocked the Manali-Leh road at Atal tunnel and Baralacha. The road is expected to reopen for traffic this season by end of this month.
- 15 April 2023: Vehicles will not be allowed on the Manali-Leh highway for few more days as avalanches are likely in the upper regions including Baralacha pass. The Lahaul-Spiti administration said it will allow vehicles on the Darcha-Sarchu stretch only after ensuring safety of the vehicles. The road at some places is very slippery due to deposit of the black ice. The highway is expected to open for general vehicular traffic by end of this month.
- 8 April 2023: The highway is still closed for all the vehicles as snow clearance works are underway.
- 26 March 2023: The Manali-Leh road link has partially been reconnected after remaining completely blocked for more than four months. Although the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has cleared the snow from the crucial Manali-Sarchu stretch, another spell of heavy snowfall has again blocked the road. The road is expected to open for Army vehicles and trucks carrying essential supplies in a weak but tourist vehicles may not be allowed as road is slippery and there are high chances of more snowfall leaving tourists stranded.
- 16 March 2023: BRO has cleared snow from Sonmarg-Zojila pass – Drass section and threw open the Leh-Srinagar highway (NH-1) for vehicular traffic. However, the civilian movement (including tourists) will not be allowed until clearance from BRO and other local agencies. Till then, only Army vehicles will be allowed.
- 27 February 2023: BRO has started clearing snow from the Srinagar – Leh highway from both Sonmarg and Drass sides. The highway is expected to be opened to vehicular traffic by end of March or early April. The road had closed after heavy snowfall in January. BRO had managed to keep the highway open till January despite many spells of snowfall.
- 17 February 2023: BRO has started snow clearance in Lahaul valley along the Manali-Leh highway. However, some avalanches are blocking the highway again and again. There is possibility of more snowfall from February 18, 2023 onwards.
- 05 January 2023: The Leh – Manali road is still closed due to icing and snowfall. Although the mountain ranges on the Himachal-Ladakh axis have received very less snow so far, the road in some of the higher passes is covered below 2 to 4 feet of snow. Also, the deposit of a thick layer of ice on the road surfaces has made it impossible for vehicles to ply on it. There is the possibility of heavy snowfall after 8 January 2023. The highway, which is open only from Manali to Darcha via Atal tunnel, is expected to open in April.
- 07 November 2022: Manali-Leh highway has been closed officially today due to risk to life following extreme cold and slippery road conditions. Heavy snowfall can leave the travellers stranded. The highway will open next year (2023) in April or May.
- 03 October 2022: The Manali-Leh highway is open as on October 03 but some shady areas in and near higher mountain passes are developing black ice. Also, frequent spells of snowfall are blocking the highway again and again. Driving on the highway will be risky after mid-October.
- 04 May 2022: The highway is again open for light vehicles. But bikes and heavy vehicles will not be allowed for one or two days due to safety reasons following recent snowfall.
- 03 May 2022: Manali-Leh road is closed for vehicles temporarily after fresh snowfall between Darcha and Sarchu.
- 30 April 2022: The Manali-Leh highway has now been opened for all types of vehicles including cars, bikes and trucks. The trucks from Manali to Leh and Leh towards Manali will ply on odd-even dates. The Shinkula pass road is also open for both cars/SUVs and bikes.
- 25 April: The Manali-Leh highway has been thrown open for light vehicles on Monday. The vehicles will have to cross Darcha police check post before 1 pm. Heavy vehicles (trucks etc) and bikes will not be allowed till further order.
- April 24, 2022: Despite the road remaining open, Lahaul-Spiti administration is not giving a green signal to civilian vehicles citing public safety. The highway is expected to be thrown open by end of this month. However, it will be weather dependent.
- April 16, 2022: Manali-Leh highway has been opened upto Deepak Tal (before Baralacha pass) for tourists. Vehicles are not allowed to go beyond this point.
- April 12, 2022: The highway is still closed for all kinds of vehicular movement including tourist vehicles.
- March 31, 2022: The Leh-Manali highway is still closed for vehicular traffic. The traffic will be allowed after a joint ispection by BRO and Lahaul-Spiti administration. General traffic, including tourists, will not be allowed for few more days.
- March 26, 2022: Snow clearance on Manali-Sarchu section is complete. The Sarchu-Leh section is also clear of snow but needs some more maintenance. Once widening is done, avalanche debris is cleared and slippery sections are fixed, general traffic movement will be allowed. Hopefully, tourists will be allowed in the first week of April. However, it will depend on weather conditions.
- March 19, 2022: The Srinagar-Leh highway has opened today. A test trial on a vehicle remained successful. The highway will be opened for civilian movement on Friday, the 25th March.
- March 09, 2022: Snow clearance has started on war footing from Darcha, Sarchu and Upshi sides. A team of jawans were airlifted from Stingari and dropped at Sarchu by helicopter to speed up the work.
- February 15, 2022: BRO has started snow clearance from Manali-Leh highway beyond Darcha. A team of BRO is clearing snow btween Darcha and Sarchu.
- February 4, 2022: Heavy snowfall has completely blocked the highway along its full length. The road is already blocked between Jispa and Upshi.
- January 3, 2022: Ladakh administration has officially closed Srinagar-Leh highway for civilian movement due to safety reasons after frequent snowfall and icing of the road surface.
- October 31: The Manali-Leh highway will officially close for all kinds of vehicles beyond Darcha in Lahaul due to snowfall and slippery road conditions.
Manali-Leh highway closed officially till next summer
Updated on November 07, 2022
Strategically important Manali-Leh highway, which passes through four high mountain passes, has been closed officially on Monday due to risk to life following extreme cold and slippery road conditions.
Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Sumit Khimta issued a notice that reads: “Given the extremely cold conditions and the possibility of heavy snowfall, the Manali-Sarchu section of the highway has been ordered to keep shut officially till the summer season of 2013 when the road will be found fit for travel. The order will come into force immediately from Monday onwards.”
He said the order will be applicable to all kinds of vehicles under section 51 of the Disaster Management Act 2005. He said the violators can be punished with imprisonment for one year or fine or both.
The Military and government in Ladakh stock the essential items in advance. However, the Srinagar-Leh highway will remain open for a few more days until very heavy snow makes it impossible to clear snow from Zojila section.
The 428-km-long Manali-Leh highway remains blocked in the winter season after snowfall and Border Roads Organisation reopens the road in summer time after clearing snow from the entire length of the road. Some of the stretches of the highway, including Baralacha pass and Taglangla pass, remain covered with 20 to 40ft deep snow.
These days Baralacha and Taglangla pass are covered with a thin layer of snow but the highway is clear. However, as the weather has again turned inclement, fresh snowfall can block the highway at many places and can leave vehicles stranded without help. But main danger these days is the formation of black ice on the road surface. Many stretches of the road in higher areas are covered with a thin layer of ice which has made road slippery. It has made officials impose a ban on traffic movement for public safety. Traffic on Manali-Leh highway was resumed on April 25 last year.
After light vehicles, Manali-Leh road opens for bikes, trucks
Updated on May 01, 2022
The Manali-Leh highway, which had opened for light vehicles on April 25, has been opened for bikes and one-way truck movement on Sunday.
While cars and SUVs are already using the highway for a week now, the bikes have also been given a green signal on Sunday. The trucks carrying goods between Himachal and Ladakh will be allowed in one direction on odd-even dates. The truck movement from Keylong towards Leh will be allowed on odd dates and movement from Leh towards Keylong will be allowed on even dates.
“All the vehicles including two-wheelers and trucks will be allowed on Manali-Leh highway beyond Darcha in a regulated manner. While all other vehicles will be allowed to cross Darcha before 1pm only, the trucks will have to follow the odd even pattern. Starting from Sunday, the trucks from Darcha will be allowed to go towards Leh on odd dates,” an official was quoted as saying by a newspaper.
The Army vehicles are already using the Manali-Leh highway. As some portions of the highway are narrow due to high walls of snow on both sides of the road, it is difficult for the narrow road to accommodate two trucks. Both-way traffic will be allowed after the road is widened following snow clearance.
The Darcha-Zanskar road via Shinku-la has also been opened to all vehicles except two wheelers and trucks. The officials said no vehicle will be allowed beyond Darcha after 1pm.
While Ladakh police have established its seasonal check post at Sarchu, Lahaul-Spiti police have still to establish the check post at Sarchu to monitor the vehicular movement. The police at the check post enter details of all the vehicles and passengers passing through the highway. Similar entries are maintained at Darcha and Koksar check posts of the district which are already functional.
Meanwhile, snow clearance from the Gramphu-Kaza road is also complete. The administration will soon allow the traffic movement on the highway after carrying out a technical recce of the road. Rohtang pass highway is also expected to open in a few days.
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Manali-Leh highway reopens for traffic movement after six months
Updated on April 25, 2022
The 428km-long Manali-Leh highway has been thrown open for light vehicles on Monday, much to the delight of thousands of adventure-lover tourists. However, the bikes and trucks will not be allowed till further order as road is not safe for them.
The vehicles heading towards Ladakh will have to cross the Darcha police check post before 1pm. No movement will be allowed after 1pm. The trucks and bikes will not be allowed for a few days until the road is maintained well. The decision to open the highway was taken by Lahaul-Spiti administration after conducting recce of the highway on Sunday.
Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Neeraj Kumar shared that light vehicles can now move towards Baralacha and Sarchu from Lahaul. “If conditions are found to be favourable, the trucks and bikes will also be allowed after a few days. Vehicles will be allowed to move towards Sarchu only up to 1pm. The travellers are requested to follow the traffic guidelines issued from time to time and avoid travel during inclement weather. Tourists should not walk on deep snow as it can prove fatal,” he advised.
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had thrown completed its snow clearance operation on the Manali-Leh highway in a record time on March 26. But Lahaul-Spiti administration did not allow traffic movement due to security reasons. The officials said Baralacha and nearby areas had too much snow and allowing traffic movement was risky. Although some stretches of the highway are damaged badly and require repair, the light vehicles will be allowed to move with advisory to drive safely.
Hoteliers in Lahaul were complaining that not allowing traffic on this highway was harming their business. Now that the highway is open, a large number of tourists will use this daunting highway to reach Ladakh.
The military convoy is also expected to run on the highway after a few days. The bus service is expected to be started in May. Meanwhile, the Darcha-Padum highway is already opened. Snow clearance from Gramphu-Kaza highway is also complete and traffic is expected to be allowed in a few days.
Manali-Leh highway still closed for vehicles
Updated on March 30, 2022
While the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had officially announced to clear snow from the strategically important 428km-long Manali-Leh highway on March 26, it may take some more time to open the highway for vehicular movement.
Driving on the Manali-Leh highway is very risky due to slippery road conditions and the risk of avalanches and landslides. The highway is narrow in some places. The area receives heavy snowfall even in April. Taking precautionary measures, the highway has been kept close beyond Darcha village. The highway will be thrown open for general traffic after recce by a technical team comprising of officials from Lahaul-Spiti administration and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Lahaul-Spiti superintendent of police Manav Verma was quoted as saying: “The highway is still closed for civilians. Tourists and other civil vehicles are not allowed to go towards Leh. The road to Leh will be opened after joint inspection by the team of district administration and BRO.”
A BRO spokesperson said first the highway will be opened for essential supply vehicles besides military convoys. “Once the highway is declared safe by civil administration, private vehicles will also be allowed.”
Last year BRO had opened Manali-Leh highway on March 28 and had allowed movement of goods vehicles. However, opening road in record time in March against nature turned out to be disastrous as dozens of vehicles got stuck at Baralacha area after fresh snowfall. Many trucks carrying essentials to Ladakh got stranded in Lahaul for over a week. The highway was then again blocked with snow and was reopened a month later. This time BRO tried to break its own record by connecting Ladakh with Himachal on March 26, two days earlier than last year. But the civilian vehicles have not been allowed so far.
Learning a lesson from last year, BRO, police and civil administration know that allowing general traffic on this highway in March is not normal and is unsafe. Sudden snowfall on the highway can prove to be fatal as 250km stretch of the highway between Darcha and Rumtse has no population, mobile network, or any help and it passes through high mountain passes and difficult terrains. These days BRO is engaged in widening the highway by cutting the deep snow and repairing the damaged stretches.
Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Neeraj Kumar told a newspaper: “The highway is not opened for civilian movement. People, especially tourists, should not attempt going beyond Darcha. Nobody will be allowed until the highway is declared open officially.”
Manali-Sarchu section of Manali-Leh Highway opens
Updated on March 26, 2022
The 176 km-long Manali-Sarchu section of 428 km-long Manali-Leh highway has been cleared of snow by the BRO on Saturday. The Sarchu-Leh section is partially opened. The military convoy and essential goods vehicle movement will be allowed on the highway in the next few days while civilian movement (including tourists) is expected to be allowed by the first week of April after widening the road and fixing the slippery stretches.
Ministry of Defence has confirmed the development as mentioned below:
In an another major breakthrough of opening up of passes in the North-Western border areas, the Border Road Organisation (BRO) opened up the 210 Km long (actually 176 km) Manali-Sarchu Road on NH 1D (actually NH 03) in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, 26 March 2022. This achievement comes a day after the BRO opened the Zojila Pass for civilian traffic on the Srinagar- Kargil- Leh Road on NH 1. Opening the Manali – Sarchu Road establishes the vital connect to Lahaul District in Himachal Pradesh which further leads to Leh in Ladakh.
The pass and the road, in the past, generally opened in the last week of April, but with the successful movement of a road convoy on March 26 the BRO has opened the pass almost a month in advance which is a record in itself.
During the winters the Road normally remains closed for over 160-180 days in a year, but this time Project Deepak of BRO has opened the road in 117 days, as the last convoy had moved on 29 Nov 2021. The early opening is more creditable due to the fact that this year the region witnessed an exponential increase in snowfall as compared to last year.
Opening the Manali-Sarchu Road was premised on successful conduct of snow clearance operations over one of the highest passes of the Zanskar Range, the formidable Baralacha La Pass (16,043 feet). The BRO adopted a two prong approach, with simultaneous deployment of snow clearance teams from two sides, one from Patsio to Baralacha La and the second from Sarchu to Baralacha La.
Since Sarchu is cut off from rest of the country during winters, as part of proactive actions and planning by the Project winter stocking of snow clearance plant equipment and spares was done well in advance during November last year in Sarchu Camp. To achieve success and early opening of the pass, and the road, aerial induction of the snow clearance team was undertaken on 05 March 2022 from Sarchu. Team comprising of six skilled operators and technicians was dropped at Baralacha La to commence snow clearance operations.
As a precautionary measure in the initial days the road will be opened only for movement of Army logistics convoys, for delivery of essential supplies for troops deployed in forward areas. Movement of all traffic will commence in the near future, on approval from the Civil Administration.
Manali-Leh highway to open in a week
Updated on March 23, 2022
While Srinagar-Leh highway had reopened in record 73 days on Saturday, the Manali-Leh highway is expected to reopen by end of this week as multiple teams of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are clearing the snow on war footings.
While jawans of project Deepak of BRO are advancing towards Sarchu from Manali side, jawans of project Deepak are moving from Leh towards Sarchu. The main challenges are to clear 10 to 20ft deep snow from technically difficult terrains of Baralacha pass and Taglangla pass. From Manali side, BRO has already cleared snow from over 150km stretch. A team of jawans equipped with dozers, earthmover, and snow cutter has moved beyond Zingzingbar.
BRO officials said if weather favours them in the next few days, Sarchu is expected to reconnect with Manali by March 26. The main challenge is to clear snow avalanches. In many places, the highway has been hit by landslides as well. The 16,050ft high Baralacha is covered with a thick blanket of snow. At many places, the jawans are cutting through over 20ft deep snow.
38 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) commander Col Shabarish Vachali was quoted by TOI as saying that two teams are advancing towards Baralacha pass from either side after clearing the snow and they have only 15km stretch remaining to clear. “We have set a deadline of March 26 to connect Sarchu with Manali. The weather conditions are unpredictable here and more snowfall is predicted in the next two days. Heavy snowfall can delay the opening. But our jawans and officers on the ground are working hard to achieve the deadline,” he said.
The Srinagar-Leh highway will be thrown open to civilian movement on odd-even basis from Friday onwards. If snow clearance operations on Manali-Leh highway complete this month, the general movement can be allowed by the first week of April. The military convoy along with other essential supply trucks will also start moving on the highway. The bus service on Manali-Leh highway is expected to resume in late April or early May.
Last year Manali-Leh highway was opened for traffic on March 28. This was the first time that this highway had reopened in March after winter snowfall as generally the road reopens in May or June. Now that Atal tunnel has bypassed Rohtang pass, and BRO is keeping highway between Manali and Darcha open even in winter season, BRO was succeeding in opening the Manali-Leh highway very early. Making multiple attack points to clear snow and experience of years are also helping them in accomplishing the task in record time. The condition of the border roads has been improved over the years to match the infrastructure of China.
Meanwhile, a team of BRO is clearing snow from Atal tunnel towards Koksar. This highway is covered with a thick blanket of snow and has witnessed multiple avalanches. After this, BRO will start clearing snow from Rohtang pass.
The Manali-Leh, Srinagar-Leh, Koksar-Kaza and Manali-Rohtang pass highways get blocked following snowfall in November. Defence minister spends crores of rupees on snow clearance. It takes months of efforts by hundreds of jawans and a large number of machines to clear the snow amid risks of avalanches, frostbites and other hidden dangers in extremely cold weather.
Snow clearance begins on war footing, bus service resumes in Lahaul
Updated on March 09, 2022
While snow clearance on the Manali-Leh highway has been started on a war footing, the bus service in Lahaul valley has resumed on Wednesday after remaining closed since January 2.
As the peak winter season has passed and snow from the roads is being removed, transportation services are coming to normalcy. However, winter season will last till late April. The snow from the roads in Lahaul is being removed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO), PWD and local residents through MGNREGA.
The SDM Keylong on Wednesday flagged off the Himachal Roads Transportation Corporation (HRTC) bus from Keylong to Udaipur. The Udaipur-Tindi bus service has also resumed. Service on other routes including Manali-Leh will be restarted as and when snow clearance will complete.
HRTC regional manager at Keylong Mangal Chand Manepa was quoted by a newspaper as saying: ” The trial run on Keylong-Udaipur-Tindi route remained successful. The buses will run regularly. The snowfall may hamper the service but will be resumed after snow clearance. Routes like Manali-Keylong, Keylong-Killar and Keylong-Manali are still closed where bus service will be started soon. Bus service on Keylong-Kaza and Keylong-Leh routes may take at least two more months to resume,” he said.
Manali-Leh highway is open to small vehicles upto Darcha, 100km from here. But the road is not safe for buses. The remaining 328km stretch between Darcha and Leh is completely blocked for all kinds of vehicles. As snowfall has stopped these days, BRO is taking its advantage and is clearing snow on war footing. The BRO has made two attack points to clear snow from Darcha-Sarchu stretch. Similarly, another team is clearing snow from Upshi (Leh) towards Sarchu.
A BRO official said two teams are clearing the snow – one from Darcha towards Baralacha pass and another from Sarchu towards Baralacha pass.
“A team of six jawans was airlifted by a helicopter from Stingari and dropped at Sarchu, the boundary between Himachal and Ladakh. Four jawans were already stationed at Sarchu. Now a total of 10 jawans are coming towards Baralacha from Sarchu with their snow removing machines,” he said.
Last year the Manali-Leh highway was opened for traffic on March 28. This was for the first time that this highway had reopened in March after winter snowfall as road generally opens in May or June every year. It was possible due to Atal tunnel which bypassed Rohtang pass and comparatively less snow.
However, snowfall had again blocked the highway and normal movement on the highway was possible from May onwards. Officials say this year the region has received more snow and the highway is hit by a large number of massive avalanches. This year the highway is expected to open in April.
BRO starts snow clearance on Manali-Leh highway
Updated on February 15, 2022
With an aim to reconnect Ladakh with Manali as soon as possible, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started its snow clearance operation on strategically important Manali-Leh highway beyond Darcha.
The Manali-Leh highway has been blocked for vehicles since November 2 last year after snowfall and drop in temperature. Generally BRO used to start its snow clearing operations on the 428km-long highway in March with a deadline of May or June. Now that Atal tunnel has bypassed the mighty Rohtang pass, the 38 Border Road Task Force (BRTF) of BRO is putting its effort in reopening this important highway as soon as possible.
38 BRTF commander Col Shabarish Vachali was quoted by TOI as saying, “Taking advantage of the three days’ window of clear weather, our team has started advancing towards 16,050ft high Baralacha pass from Darcha. We had kept the Manali-Leh highway clear of snow till Darcha throughout the winter season. Our men and machines have cleared the highway till KM-154.”
As snow clearance has started ahead of schedule, the traffic movement on the highway is expected to resume by April, at least one-two months in advance. A team of BRO clears snow from Leh towards Sarchu while team 38 BRTF clears snow between Manali and Sarchu. The Manali-Sarchu stretch is more challenging due to heavy snowfall, avalanches and landslides. The highway is covered with 2ft to 30ft thick blanket of snow.
The commander said completion of the snow clearance task is totally dependent on weather conditions and many other factors. “We have started climbing towards Baralacha. We have no idea about the snow thickness near the mountain pass. The road is hit by many avalanches which take little more time to clear. The area is landslide-prone. Our jawans, machine operators and officials are skilled and courageous. Our only motive is to clear the highway as soon as possible while considering human safety and weather conditions,” the commander tells the newspaper.
To speed up the task, BRO is considering deploying another team from the opposite direction. The plan is to make two attack points – one from Darcha side and another from Sarchu side and both teams will move towards Baralacha pass.
Officials said they are planning to conduct an aerial recce of the snow-covered highway and will land at Sarchu after snow from helipad is removed. Depending on various situations and after measuring the estimated depth of snow, further strategy will be made. Last year when BRO had failed in the air induction of a team at Sarchu due to poor weather, its team of engineer and personnel had risked life by walking on 20ft thick snow for more than 20km to start work from the opposite direction.
Again this time BRO needs not to clear snow from Rohtang pass to connect Manali with Leh due to Atal tunnel. But clearing snow between Darcha, the last village of Lahaul, and Leh is also not easy because of heavy snowfall and inhospitable terrains. The jawans face blizzards and work in extreme cold temperatures. While average temperature remains minus 10 to minus 30 degrees C, avalanches pose serious life threats every day. They eat almost frozen meals and work mostly amid snowfall.
Once the road is opened, local residents, tourists, essential supply trucks besides Army convoys will make the highway busy.
Please note:
Distance between Manali and Leh via Rohtang pass is 474 KM.
Distance between Manali and Leh via Atal tunnel is 428 KM.
Manali-Leh highway remains blocked with snow after winter snowfall every year from November to May.
Tourists can visit Ladakh in the winter season only by flight to Leh airport.
On this page, we shall keep tourists updated about the Manali Leh highway status for the year 2021-22. This page will be updated regularly.
—Stay tuned to get fresh updates—
Disclaimer: The date of opening of Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh highway is not determined by anybody as it totally depends on weather conditions. Opening of these highways totally depend on intensity of snowfall in winter months, weather during clearing of snow, more snowfall in April and May months, temperature and many other aspects. Discover Leh Ladakh does not guarantee the accuracy of date of opening of the highway. This is just an estimation made as per inputs from BRO and sight visit by our own team members. Manali Leh Highway Status post is just an endeavour to help the tourists.
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