Leh-Manali Highway
| Leh-Manali Highway | |
|---|---|
| लेह-मनाली राजमार्ग Lēh-manālī rājmārg |
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| Route information | |
| Length: | 479 km (298 mi) |
| Major junctions | |
| North end: | Leh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir |
| South end: | Manali, Himachal Pradesh |
| Location | |
| States: | Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Primary destinations: |
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| Highway system | |
The Leh–Manali Highway (Hindi: लेह-मनाली राजमार्ग Lēh-manālī rājmārg) is a highway in northern India connecting Leh in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state and Manali in Himachal Pradesh state. It is open for only about four and a half months in a year in summer between May or June, when the snow is cleared, and mid-October when snowfall again blocks the high passes. It connects Manali valley to Lahaul and Spiti valleys and Zanskar valley in Ladakh.
Leh–Manali Highway was designed and built and is maintained entirely by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of Indian army. It is capable of supporting the heaviest of army vehicles.
The average elevation of Leh-Manali highway is more than 4,000 m (13,000 feet) and its highest elevation is 5,328 m (17,480 ft) at Tanglang La mountain pass. It is flanked by mountain ranges on both sides featuring some stunning sand and rock natural formations.
The highway crosses many small streams of ice-cold water from snow-capped mountains and glacial melts without a bridge and it requires driving skill to negotiate fast-flowing streams. The landscape changes immediately after getting past Rohtang Pass and entering into Chandra river valley in Lahaul region that lies in rain-shadow. The greenery on the southern side of the mountain pass disappears and the mountain slopes on the leeward side become brown and arid. However, the mountain peaks are covered in snow and shine brightly in sun.
Leh-Manali highway is generally two lanes wide (one lane in either direction) without a road-divider but has only one or one and a half lanes at some stretches. It has over a dozen bailey bridges and most of them are in dilapidated condition. The highway has many damaged stretches and under-maintenance portions where even a little rainfall can trigger landslide making it very dangerous to cross that stretch of the road. The riding quality is not good at many places and fast speeds can cause discomfort.
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Wikipedia