Bilaspur-Shimla national highway reopens after landslide disrupts traffic
A massive landslide near Kararaghat disrupted traffic on the Bilaspur-Shimla national highway (NH) for several hours today. The landslide, which occurred this morning, blocked a 30-m stretch of the road, affecting connectivity between Arki and Shimla, as well as routes to Mandi, Bilaspur, and other destinations.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) staff quickly responded, deploying labour and three earth excavation machines to clear debris and boulders. Uprooted trees complicated the clearing process, which took several hours. Vehicles were diverted to the arterial route via Ganaghughat-Piplughat, causing inconvenience to commuters.
According to NHAI project director Anand Dahiya, the landslide occurred after rains, when dry soil and loose strata gave way. Notably, this stretch is part of the Shimla-Mataur NH-205 four-laning project, but no construction has been undertaken here. NHAI is maintaining the road as part of the project.
The road reopened to vehicular traffic at 6 pm this evening, following a thorough restoration effort. Work commenced simultaneously from both ends of the 30-m affected stretch, with one lane cleared and opened to traffic by noon. The second lane was fully restored by evening.
