IIT Mandi Unveils New Road Enhancing Campus Connectivity

Inauguration of Panchvaktra Marg

Munish Sood
Mandi

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi celebrated a significant infrastructure achievement on Thursday with the opening of ‘Panchvaktra Marg’, a new roadway linking its North and South campuses. The inauguration was officiated by IIT Mandi Director Professor Laxmidhar Behera, alongside faculty, students, staff, engineers, and project officials.

This newly constructed road is anticipated to greatly improve connectivity within the institute, creating a cohesive transport network that enhances academic collaboration, administrative operations, and overall mobility across the campus.

Spanning approximately 3.5 kilometers, the two-lane road measures 9 meters in width and was built at an investment of nearly ₹21 crore. In addition to facilitating smooth vehicle traffic, the project includes a dedicated pedestrian walkway to ensure safe passage for students, faculty, and visitors.

A notable feature of this project is a 50-meter-long pre-stressed box girder bridge that crosses the Kataula ravine, ensuring uninterrupted access between the two campuses. Designed to withstand the challenging Himalayan landscape, the road includes a well-planned drainage system, RCC slab culverts, channelization structures, valley-side protection measures, and street lighting to enhance safety, especially during monsoon seasons and nighttime. The road's alignment has been carefully designed to reduce steep gradients, promoting safer and smoother traffic flow.

During the construction phase, engineers faced a 150-meter rocky section that was excavated using environmentally friendly engineering methods rather than heavy blasting. While this approach extended the construction timeline, it helped uphold high safety standards and minimized the project's environmental footprint.

In his remarks, Prof. Laxmidhar Behera noted that the road is named ‘Panchvaktra Marg’ to honor the historic Panchvaktra Shiva Temple in Mandi, showcasing the institute's appreciation for the region's rich cultural and spiritual heritage.

He stated, “This road will not only enhance connectivity between the two campuses but also foster a sense of unity within the IIT Mandi community. I extend my congratulations to all faculty, staff, students, engineers, and workers whose commitment made this significant project a reality.”

To commemorate the event, IIT Mandi also initiated the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, which aims to plant around 2,000 trees along and near Panchvaktra Marg. This initiative seeks to promote environmental conservation, bolster the institute's sustainability efforts, and encourage community involvement in creating a greener and healthier campus.