Project to modernise Himachal gateway

One of the busiest road entries into Himachal Pradesh's largest tourist and industrial belts is to be modernised and replaced by a six-lane road.

The current entry point at Parwanoo, 80 km from here, on the Haryana-Himachal border is the starting point on one of the busiest mountain highways in northern India, but is often plagued by traffic jams due to a narrow two-lane road space.

"The state government has prepared an ambitious plan to modernise the entry point at Parwanoo inter-state barrier and build a six-lane for the convenience of travellers,""said Avya Shukla, state transport secretary.

"Parwanoo is the gateway to Himachal and a proper facelift and hassle-free entry is needed to attract more tourists and industry into the state," said Shukla.

After the High Court issued directions, the government held a high-level meeting late Wednesday in the nearby town of Solan, 48 km from here, to discuss the modernisation of multi-purpose barrier at Parwanoo.

While work has just begun on converting the winding two-lane road into a four-lane one, on the 80 km Parwanoo-Shimla route, two more lanes are to be added (six in all) at Parwanoo barrier, for vehicles to park for octrio and toll-tax before entering or leaving the hill state.

Solan district also has the largest number of industrial units among all districts in the state, and corporate houses have often complained that Parwanoo and adjoining Kalka (in Haryana) roads are constant bottlenecks for traffic.

There is also another proposed plan to by-pass Kalka for smoother and faster movement of traffic.