Road widening along National Highway-58, Uttarakhand, India

In the perilous Himalayan region, the roadway network serves as arteries for transportation. The terrain is susceptible to potential landslides due to its inherent geology which is reflected in its weak rocks. Anthropogenic intervention for developmental activities is continuously aggravating and deteriorating the geoenvironmental condition of the region. One such intervention is the widening of roads being performed on fragile slopes. Here, the issues pertaining to improper excavation for road widening along National Highway- 58, Uttarakhand, India have been discussed. The surface and subsurface drainage treatment is the foremost measure that needs to be undertaken. Excavation at steep angle should be avoided. Some preventive measures like steel mesh should be used to retain potential falling blocks along with flexible barriers to reduce kinetic energy of these blocks. Proper execution of remedial measures will strengthen the safety along the highway. The excavated muck should be dumped by constructing well-planned and scientific dumping sites. Rock shed construction is proposed for rockfall-prone sections.