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Second tunnel at Dhalli in Shimla to see light of day by November-end
Work on 147-metre double-lane tunnel linking Dhalli with Upper Shimla nears completion, making it the fifth tunnel in Himachal Pradesh’s state capital
The second tunnel adjoining the 175-year-old one at Dhalli in Shimla will become operational from November-end.
“The new 147-metre tunnel, envisaged under the Smart City Mission, will be functional by November. Earlier this week, both ends of the double-lane tunnel were connected and finishing touches are being given,” state urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj said on Saturday. The new tunnel will ease traffic congestion in the Dhalli and Sanjauli areas.
The British-era tunnel is the lifeline for Upper Shimla areas, comprising Kinnaur, Mandi and the outer Seraj regions of Kullu, as the national highway passes through it and was later connected with two bypasses from Sanjauli and Tutti Kandi. The tunnel has been repaired several times but it has now outlived its life so the government planned the new one nearby.
This ₹50-crore project is being built by the Himachal Pradesh Road and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HPRIDC). “The foundation stone for the tunnel was laid in March and work will be completed within six months. The tunnel will be ready a month before the deadline,” Bhardwaj said.
New tunnel to ease traffic jam
He said the aim of the project was to provide a wide and safe passage for vehicles on the busy route. “The existing tunnel is too old and single-lane. Shimla has seen a lot of change in terms of amenities and infrastructure under the Smart City Mission. We now have a parallel tunnel to connect the town with Upper Shimla region and Kinnaur district,” Bhardwaj said.
A major reason behind the traffic jam in the Sanjauli and Dhalli areas was the single-lane tunnel. Traffic from one side has to be halted to let vehicles from the other side pass. “This practice leads to traffic jams back to Sanjauli Chowk and Dhalli beyond the tunnel. The new tunnel will make the jams a thing of the past,” said Manmohan Sharma, director, department of urban development and managing director of the Shimla Smart City Limited.
The minister said several projects have been initiated to ease traffic congestion. “Roads have been widened. There were several bottlenecks in Shimla town, especially on Cart Road. More than 12km stretch of roads have been widened. Work is on to widen Dhalli Chowk passage,” he said, adding, “Besides major parking spaces, the focus is on building small parking lots in residential areas.”
Two British-era tunnels
With the completion of the second tunnel at Dhalli, Shimla town will have five tunnels in all. The Victory Tunnel was built in 1945 to mark Britain’s win in the Second World War. Another British-era pedestrian tunnel connects Lower Bazaar to Rivoli below the high court. It has been closed for vehicular traffic. Another tunnel was built during the Congress government’s tenure near Auckland House School.
The old tunnel in Dhalli was built 175 years ago to connect British houses located ahead of Dhalli, including Wildflower Hall, once the summer retreat of the first Earl of Lytton and later occupied by Lord Kitchener, a British army commander. The old British-era building was razed after a fire and the Himachal Pradesh government leased the property out for a hotel.
