Lifesaving Road Upgrades Begin: Mandi's Deadly Black Spots on Kiratpur-Manali Highway Get Flyovers

Good news for commuters and locals alike! After a long wait, construction is finally kicking off on crucial flyover-cum-underpasses at Dadaur and Nagchala, two notorious 'black spots' on the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has just awarded a Rs 27-crore contract, with work expected to begin in the next three months and wrap up within 18 months, promising safer and smoother journeys through these accident-prone areas. This development comes hot on the heels of another major win for the region: the opening of the Dayod and Hanogi tunnel on September 11, 2026, which drastically cut travel time between Mandi and Kullu and bypassed dangerous landslide zones. While the larger Kiratpur-Manali four-lane project has faced its share of delays and challenges, including issues with land acquisition and the wrath of monsoons, the recent acceleration in completing these critical sections, including the planned resumption of work at the Jhiri black spot, shows a renewed push to enhance this vital artery for tourism and local connectivity. With these projects moving forward, the focus is squarely on improving road safety and easing traffic flow, especially as the Himachal Pradesh High Court continues to monitor the highway's progress closely. Travelers can look forward to a much safer and less congested route through Mandi, making trips to destinations like Kullu-Manali significantly more reliable. This is a big step towards completing a highway that's been in the making for years, promising to change how people travel across this beautiful, mountainous region.