National Highway 505 (India)

National Highway 505, commonly called NH 505, is a national highway in India. It is a spur road of National Highway 5. NH-505 traverses the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. NH505 a high elevation road, covers Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh, mainly running along Spiti river in Spiti valley. The highway from Kaza to Gramphu remains closed for 6–9 months in a year due to heavy snowfall and closure of Kunzum La pass at an elevation of .

Overview

National Highway 505, was designated Himachal state highway 30 prior to its being notified on 4 March 2014 as a national highway. The highway runs through the high elevation cold desert area of Lahaul and Spiti valleys of Himachal, which area receives negligible rainfall. The terrain is barren and treacherous, prone to landslides and disruptions. The road is narrow and rough at places and crosses the high elevation Kunzum pass, requiring good driving skills in mountains. NH-505 provides connectivity to some major Buddhist monasteries and various interesting places.

Route

The route of NH-505 starts at the Khab Sangam in Kinnaur district from National Highway 5. It runs along the Spiti valley through Kinnaur and enters Lahaul and Spiti district at Sumdo. It continues up the Spiti valley to Kunzum Pass. It descends and follows the Chandra River to the terminus at Gramphoo.

Kinnaur district

The terminus at Khab, Kinnaur district is the preferred point of entry to Spiti valley which is located at an average elevation of . This mostly all-weather access point to Spiti valley from Khab is at an elevation of about . Travelling from Chandigarh or Shimla to Khab gives a chance for travellers to gradually acclimatize themselves to avoid altitude sickness. NH-505 climbs steeply from Khab Sangam up to Nako (). It descends to Chango on the Spiti River, then enters Lahaul and Spiti district at Sumdo.

File:Confluence Spiti Satluj Jun18 D72 6744.jpg, NH-505 enters Spiti Valley from bridge over Sutlej river
File:Nako 2 Stevage.jpg, Enroute Khab to Nako
File:Nako 4 Stevage.jpg, Switchback hairpin bends climbing to Nako
File:Leo Spiti NH505 Himachal Jun18 D72 6785.jpg, Leo village on right bank of Spiti, opp. Nako
File:Nako Kinnaur Himachal Jun18 D72 6792.jpg, Nako village from NH-505
File:NH 505-B-Nako nach Chango-06-gje.jpg, Enroute Nako to Chango

Lahaul and Spiti district

From Sumdo, NH-505 runs mostly alongside the Spiti river for about until Losar. After passing through Hurling, the next town is Tabo with the well-known Tabo Monastery and caves. The highway passes through some unusual clay pillars en route to Kaza, the largest town in Spiti valley. Near Lingti, before Kaza, the road to Pin Valley National Park branches off over the Attargo Bridge to the right bank of the Spiti. On the Tabo side of Lingti is the road to the Dhanker Monastery. In this section, the riverbed is very wide, up to in places. The river itself is much narrower and meanders in braids along the broad riverbed.

File:Tabo Monastery -Tabo Spiti -Himachal Pradesh -D72 6869.jpg, Tabo with Spiti River beneath distant cliff, Jun '18
File:NH505 Monoliths Tabo Upstream Jun18 D72 6916.jpg, Clay pillars, Tabo - Lingti, Jun '18
File:Pin Valley Spiti Himachal Jun18 D72 7092.jpg, Pin Valley Nat'l Park, Mudh village, Jun '18
File:NH 505-E-Dhankar to Kaza-08-Kaza-Stadt-gje.jpg, Kaza in Spiti valley


After Kaza, NH-505 crosses to the right bank of the Spiti river over the Rangrik Bridge. At the bridge, the Kaza-Kibber road continues on the left bank to Key Monastery () and the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary (). NH-505 continues on the right bank running through a flat, narrow valley in which the Spiti river has carved a gorge about deep. The road crosses back to the left bank before Kialto village. Here, the Kaza-Kibber road rejoins NH-505, a distance of from Kibber. After Morang and Hanse villages, the valley broadens before Losar village.

After Losar, NH-505 turns up the right bank of the Lichu, a right bank tributary of the Spiti. The road climbs gradually up to Kunzum La, elev. . There is a temple at the pass.

File:NH505 Spiti Kaza Losar Jun18 D72 7797.jpg, Spiti gorge above Kaza with NH-505 on the right bank (view from Kibber-Kialto road)
File:NH505 Spiti Kaza Losar Jun18 D72 7800.jpg, Spiti gorge with NH-505 on the right and Kibber-Kialto road on the left.
File:NH 505-F-Kaza to Losar-16-zwei Bruecken-Erosionsformen-gje.jpg, Enroute Kaza to Losar
File:NH 505-F-Kaza to Losar-14-zwei Bruecken-gje.jpg, Bridge across Spiti river
File:Losar Jun18 D72 7824.jpg, NH505 entering Losar from the east
File:Losar Spiti Upstream Himachal Jun18 D72 7831.jpg, West of Losar towards Kunzum La, Elev. .
File:Losar-Kunzum Road Jun18 D72 7836.jpg, Losar-Kunzum Road
File:Kunzum La-24-pass height-gje.jpg, Kunzum La, Elev. .

From Kunzum pass, the highway descends through steep hairpin bends to Batal village on the left bank of the Chandra river. Chandra Taal is a pristine lake on the Chandra River popular with tourists and high-altitude trekkers. The road to Chandra Taal branches off from NH-505 about from Batal and from Kunzum Pass.

From Batal, NH-505 follows the left bank of the Chandra river, practically running on the riverbed in some places as both sides of the narrow valley are very steep. This section is largely unpaved and impassable during the winter months. Passing through Chotta Dara the highway reaches Chhatru where it crosses to the right bank. It climbs steeply and runs along the top of a cliff overlooking the Chandra river until the terminus at Gramphu (Gramphoo).

File:NH505 Chandra River Batal Chhatru Jun18 D72 8022.jpg, Bara Shigri Glacier on the right bank of the Chandra
File:NH505 Chandra River Batal Chhatru Jun18 D72 8028.jpg, NH-505 runs along Chandra riverbed below Batal
File:NH 505-J-Batal to Chhatru-02-gje.jpg, Batal to Chhatru
File:NH 505-J-Batal to Chhatru-22-Schild-gje.jpg, Chhatru village
File:NH 505-K-Chhatru to Gramphu-08-gje.jpg, Chhatru to Gramphu
File:Gramphoo, Himachal Pradesh.jpeg, Junction with NH3 on left at Gramphu

Junctions

, Kinnaur district
, Khab
, 0.0
, 0.0
,
, Southeast terminus
, -
, Lahaul and Spiti district
, Attargo Bridge
, 74.6
, 120.0
, Mud village, Pin Valley
, About NW of Lingti
, -
, Lahaul and Spiti district
, Gramphoo
, 169.6
, 273.0
,
, Northwest terminus

See also

* List of National Highways in India
* List of National Highways in India by state

References

{{IND NH5 sr

National highways in India
National Highways in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh