Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag Bypass Opens To Public After 22 Years; How It Will Benefit Char Dham Yatra Pilgrims

Rudraprayag Bypass Opens To Public: The Rudraprayag bypass, crucial for the Char Dham Yatra, opened yesterday, October 27. The bypass project was awaited for nearly 22 years. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami inspected the project after the completion of its second phase, following which the bypass was opened to the public, resuming vehicular traffic.

The official inauguration of the project is scheduled for November 14. The opening of the bypass will provide relief to travelers or pilgrims, who witness severe traffic on the Rudraprayag route during Char Dham Yatra. This bypass will also prove helpful for pilgrims visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath.

Traffic Relief For Travelers

Vehicles travelling from Srinagar towards Badrinath and Kedarnath can now bypass Rudraprayag town completely. This should bring some relief to both pilgrims and residents who have long suffered from heavy traffic jams during the Char Dham Yatra season. The new route has a tunnel of about 900 metres and a 190 metre bridge over the Alaknanda River. With all the construction and safety work done, the authorities have finally opened the bypass for regular traffic.

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Tunnel And Bridge Construction Completed

The second phase of the Rudraprayag bypass includes a 900.20 metre tunnel and a bridge of around 190 metres across the Alaknanda. The bridge is fully ready, and load testing along with other technical checks have been completed. Inside the tunnel, the road surface has been laid, and electrical fittings, ventilation systems and safety equipment are all in place. This new stretch is expected to keep traffic out of the town, especially the vehicles heading to Badrinath and Kedarnath.

Why Did The Project Take So Long To Complete?

The project has taken far longer than anyone first expected. The central government gave its approval way back in 2003-04. After that, the first phase was built- a 3.25 km road and two bridges over the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers. Even that first phase took more than 7 years to finish.

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The second phase stayed stuck for years because the budget kept getting delayed. Once the funds were finally cleared in 2021, work started in December 2022 at an estimated cost of about Rs 156 crore. The original plan was to open it before the 2025 Char Dham Yatra.

But the deadline kept getting pushed, first to September 2025, then ahead of the 2026 season, then to 15 August 2026, and finally to 31 August 2026.