Chandigarh-Shimla highway opens for traffic after two days of halt

Chandigarh-Shimla highway reopens: The Chandigarh-Shimla highway, officially known as the National Highway 5, reopened for the public on Tuesday, a day after it was blocked for more than 12 hours following a landslide in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district. 

Single-lane traffic movement on both sides of the Shimla-Chandigarh highway was being facilitated at Koti, Sanwara and Chakkimod, HP Traffic, Tourist and Railways Police said in an updated on microblogging site Twitter.

Himachal Pradesh is the worst-hit state in the country as record rainfall continues to lash North India amid the ongoing monsoon season. 

NH 05 Shimla chandigarh Highway is through :one lane towards chandigarh valley pic.twitter.com/3EyGGGphA2

— Satwant Atwal,IPS (@SatwantAtwal) July 10, 2023

#Update #RoadStatus #Kinnar
1. Sangla to chittkul is blocked due to land slide at brua.
2. NH-05 is block near chaura, nathpa, nigulsari & urni dhank due to landslide & mudslide.
3. NH-05 is block at ribba due to debris.#TTRHimachal @himachalpolice @SPKinnaur @HP_SDRF

— HP Traffic, Tourist & Railways Police (@TTRHimachal) July 11, 2023

Update for Solan district

NH 05 road situation

1. Koti- single lane through
2. Upper Sanwara, near petrol pump- single lane through
3. Datyar-single lane through
4. Chakkimore- single lane through only for small vehicle. @himachalpolice @GoHimachal_ #RoadConditions

— HP Traffic, Tourist & Railways Police (@TTRHimachal) July 11, 2023

Update for Kinnaur district

NH-05 near hot spring Tapri & Pagal Nala road which was closed due to land slide & mud since last night has been opened for all types of vehicle. @himachalpolice @SPKinnaur

— HP Traffic, Tourist & Railways Police (@TTRHimachal) July 11, 2023

Heavy to very heavy rain lashed parts of Sirmaur, Shimla, Mandi and Kinnaur districts in Himachal Pradesh. Nahan received 250 mm rain, followed by Dhaulakuan (138.5 mm), Jubberhatti (90 mm), Kufri (67 mm), Narkanda (65 mm), Shimla (64 mm), Mashobra (60.5 mm), Kalpa (48 mm), Reckongpeo (42 mm), Mandi (46 mm) and Sundernagar (45 mm). IMD issues red, orange alerts for several parts of Himachal Pradesh.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), the country's weather office, issued a red alert for several districts of Himachal Pradesh and an orange alert for three districts for the next 48 hours as the state continued to receive heavy rainfall. The IMD also issued alerts for flash floods and landslides in the state.

NH 05 Shimla chandigarh Highway is through :one lane towards chandigarh valley pic.twitter.com/3EyGGGphA2

— Satwant Atwal,IPS (@SatwantAtwal) July 10, 2023

Meanwhile, several bridges were damaged on National Highway 105, linking Pinjore with Baddi, hampering the movement of road traffic. Vehicles were washed away in a mudslide in the industrial Parwanoo town, located along the Chandigarh-Shimla highway. 

Shimla-Kalka route update
 

Officials said rail operations on the Shimla-Kalka route, a UNESCO world heritage site, have been suspended till Tuesday as landslides blocked the track at several places. 

More than 120 roads are blocked in Shimla district while 484 water supply schemes have been affected, they said.