Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Deod and Hanogi tunnels halve Mandi-Kullu travel time
Two new tunnels have opened on a highway in Himachal Pradesh.
They help vehicles travel between Mandi and Kullu more easily.
One tunnel is 2.8 kilometres long, and the other is 650 metres long.
Before the tunnels opened, the road could take about two hours when traffic was heavy.
Now, the trip may take about 60 minutes in normal traffic.
The tunnels avoid a difficult and winding mountain section.
They are expected to reduce traffic jams near Jogni Mata Mandir, Deod and Hanogi.
At first, one tube of each twin-tube tunnel is open.
The tunnels also improve access toward Manali and the Leh-Ladakh route.
Deod and Hanogi tunnels on the Kiratpur-Manali highway opened to traffic on Friday.
The 2.8-kilometre Deod Tunnel and 650-metre Hanogi Tunnel are part of the Pandoh-Takoli section of NH-3.
The tunnels are expected to reduce the Mandi-Kullu journey from about two hours to around 60 minutes in normal traffic.
They reduce the affected mountainous road stretch from approximately six kilometres to 3.5 kilometres.
The tunnels are part of a Rs 4,465.94-crore, 18.908-kilometre four-laning project executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode.
- Who
- Motorists traveling between Mandi, Kullu, Manali and the higher Himalayan region; the opening was announced by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
- What
- The Deod and Hanogi tunnels opened to traffic on the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway.
- When
- The tunnels opened on Friday; safety inspections and a trial run took place on September 7.
- Where
- On the Pandoh-Takoli section of NH-3 in Himachal Pradesh.
- Why
- To bypass a congested, winding mountain stretch and improve connectivity toward Kullu-Manali and the Leh-Ladakh route.
- Deod Tunnel length
- 2.8 kilometres
- Hanogi Tunnel length
- 650 metres
- Expected Mandi-Kullu travel time
- About 60 minutes in normal traffic, compared with about two hours in congested conditions
- Affected road stretch
- Reduced from approximately 6 kilometres to 3.5 kilometres
- Project cost
- Rs 4,465.94 crore
- Project section
- 18.908 kilometres of the Pandoh Bypass-Takoli section
- Current tunnel operation
- One tube of each twin-tube tunnel is initially open to traffic