Monsoons - Road Condition Update

[arpandiv]

@HVK any update on NH20?

[hvkumar]

From what I could gather, the Chakki Bank bridge is washed out for the time being. The rest of the road from Pathankot to Dharamasala is in good condition - a friend of mine was in that area a few days ago.

Afraid I don't know tthis alternative route which they are using now. I have used the temporary causeway that was washed away, that is a simple detour that joins up in the NH1A just before it reaches Pathankot town from Mukerian/ Dasuya.

[arpandiv]

Okay. will update the thread on NH20 @ Tuesday. Have guys going from pathankot to Mandi-manali.

[hvkumar]

SHIMLA & NH22

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Himachal Pradesh Edition

Rain wreaks havoc in Shimla
Tribune News Service

Heavy rain during the past two days wreaked havoc as landslides and uprooting of trees brought all vehicular traffic on the main roads in the city to a halt, causing inconvenience to thousands of weekend tourists amid reports of several houses and retaining walls collapsing.

There has been a widespread damage to private and public property in and around the state capital. Traffic on the Circular Road, the lifeline of the town, came to a halt as a huge deodar tree fell on a moving Gypsy near Hotel Holiday Homer.

Traffic also reminded suspended near tunnel-103 on the Kalka-Shimla highway where two huge trees came down, damaging vehicles in morning. It took almost six hours for the labourers to clear.

The National Highway 22 also remained blocked for about four hours due to a heavy landslide at Matiana.

[hvkumar]

BADDI, HIMACHAL PRADESH

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Himachal Pradesh Edition

Roads flooded in Baddi

Solan, June 28

With the roads of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area getting over flooded after continuous showers, which lashed the area since last evening the maintenance aspect of these roads has been exposed.

So pathetic is the condition of roads that it had created particular problems for the pedestrians who have to slush each time vehicles cross the roads.

The condition of internal roads like Sai Road was equally appalling as the main road as huge puddles of water could be seen all over the roads.

[hvkumar]

Coimbatore-Mysore

A friend who drove from Coimbatore to Mysore last week reports that the Chamarajnagar-Nanjangud road is bad.

[kutlee]

HV, that part is bad already. I did this in end of may. Might be worse now due to rains.

[hvkumar]

BOMDILA/TAWANG - ARUNACHAL PRADESH

THE MORUNG EXPRESS : NAGA NEWS HOME PAGE - Rain claims eight lives in Arunachal

Itanagar, June 28 (Agencies): At least eight persons, two army drivers and six labourers of the Border Road Organisation (BRO), were killed at West Kameng district due to flash flood in the wake of incessant rain since June 26, official sources said on Saturday. Two army drivers with their vehicles were washed away from the ammunition depot at Tenga while the labourers were killed while working at the Bhalukpong-Tameng Road were killed by swelling flood water which breached the vital border link road at various points cutting off Tawang and Bomdila with Assam.

Of the eight, six of the bodies were found and identified. Labourers have been working round-the-clock to restore the road and repair bridges near Tenga.


The devastating rain also washed away roads in several places disrupting surface communication to Tawang and West Kameng districts. Fourteen private houses were damaged in Sera and Pedung villages while ten others were washed away at Dukhum Pani Area, reports said. Two bailey bridges located at a distance of 16 km from Bomdila was washed away and a culvert located at Sera Nallah on way to Bomdila damaged.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by kutlee

HV, that part is bad already. I did this in end of may. Might be worse now due to rains.

This is what my friend Sasi had to say:

"Chamrajnagar-Nanjangud: Roads are atrocious ......The road throughout till Nanjangud was uniformly bad and can wreck your car."

[arpandiv]

Chakki bank bridge reconstructed(so fast??) now called "new chakki bank bridge"
road condition is good on NH20.

[hvkumar]

Wow, Arpan. Is it the same route as the temporary bridge they had built?

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Coimbatore-Mysore

A friend who drove from Coimbatore to Mysore last week reports that the Chamarajnagar-Nanjangud road is bad.

Reported in indiahighways yahoo group:

"Was back from Coimbatore to Bangalore last month and it took us 10 hrs to cover 350 kms via the Sathy - Chamrajnagar route. This is best avoided."

[hvkumar]

Heavy rains in Bombay region.


...an reported in rediff:
"The heavy rains triggered a landslide in Khandala on the Mumbai-Pune expressway."

[andy_dog_lover]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

ORISSA

NH60 (Balasore-Kharagpur, part of GQ bettween Chennai and Kolkata) is closed down because of serious flooding in and around Balasore and Dantan.

West Bengal floods leave 4 dead, 12 missing

@hvkumar - Any last moment updates on the broken stretch between Balasore and Kharagpur on NH5 would help as I am embarking on my journey tomorrow. Thanks

[hvkumar]

No new news, except that rains have eased and train services are being resumed on the main Chennai-Kolkata line (suspended because of damage to tracks). Looks like roads will be OK (but for some damage), although I have no news on the current state of the damaged bridge at Balasore. Being an important highway, road will be up and running for sure.

Please revise your Day 3 targets - they are too ambitious - considering the current state of NH60. As I had mentioned earlier, at Balasore, you can continue on NH5 (the 2 lane road via Baripada) instead of on NH60, since the latter seems to have suffered lot more damage.