Indian Roads Thread

[putnanja]

The budget talks about these two roads over Ganga and Brahmaputra.

75. The road-cum-rail bridge at Munger, Bihar, over the Ganga, has been taken up as a national project. Likewise, the road-cum-rail bridge at Bogibeel, Assam, over the Brahmaputra, will be taken up as a national project.

What is the status of these roads today? Is this road at Bogibeel in Assam the same one which gets washed out whenever Brahmaputra is in floods cutting off NE region from India? I hope these are atlest 6-8 lanes with adequate height to not get affected by floods

[Singha]

all three existing brahmaputra bridges are not in flood danger. but bridges are useless if highways get washed away, which happens.

[shyamd]

Road projects fail to reach destination

Animesh Singh / New Delhi March 18, 2007
While the budgetary allocation for the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) has gone up by 35 per cent, most of the projects are far behind schedule and deadlines have gone awry.

Under the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) programme, 5,846 km of highways is to be completed by June, after two extensions in the deadline (the original one being December 2005). Till November 2006, 93 per cent of the work had been completed.

Targets for the north-south-east-west (NSEW) corridor have also not been met.

Under this corridor, a total of 7,300 km of highways are to be four laned. Even after the ministry for roads and highways shifted the deadline by a year to December 2008, till November 30, 2006 only 853 km of highways (which is 11 per cent of the target) have been four laned. In the case of phase III A of NHDP, where 4,000 km of roads are to be four laned, the government has not set a deadline. But till November 30, 2006, only 30 km of highways had been completed.

Under the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North-East, the finance minister has increased the allocation from Rs 9,945 crore, given in the current fiscal, to Rs 10,667 crore in the coming fiscal.

Work on this project was to start in 2005-06, however it will only begin in 2007-08. The ministry would be starting work on 450 km of roads in the region. A total of 3,228 km of roads are to be upgraded in this scheme.

In the port connectivity project, only 34 per cent of the targeted work has been done.

[Gerard]

Jammu: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway continued to remain closed for the seventh day on Saturday after damage to a stretch and landslips in the wake of heavy rains. — PTI

[Suraj]

In contrast to the NREGS moneypit, the Bharat Nirman (formerly the NDA's Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) programme is an excellent one, and its outlay has been doubled:
Rs 11k cr ($2.5 billion) for rural roads under Bharat Nirman in 2007-08

A massive outlay of Rs 11,000 crore has been earmarked this financial year for laying of rural roads, a key component under Bharat Nirman programme.

The rural roads scheme envisages linking of every habitation with 1,000 population and above with all-weather roads. In case of hilly and tribal areas, the population limit is 500 and above.

Sources in the Rural Development Ministry, which is carrying out the ambitious rural connectivity project through the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), said.

That 66,802 habitations are proposed to be provided connectivity by 1.46 lakh km new roads, while 1.94 km existing routes are to be upgraded.

During the first two years of Bharat Nirman, launched in 2005-06, as many as 10,303 habitations have been connected by completing construction of 32,590 km new roads and upgrading 36,341 km routes at an expenditure of Rs.4,219.98 crore during 2005-06 and Rs.5,376.28 crore during 2006-07.

[Gaurav_S]

Traffic management is here, finally!

By: Nandini Sen Gupta

Every time you’ve spent hours stuck in peak hour traffic anywhere in India, you’ve probably cursed the country's non-existent traffic planning and road sense for the mess.

But some of the Indian cities are now taking a lead in cranking out a modern traffic management system that will use high-tech tools and actually better deploy the traffic police force as well as ensure that the flow of traffic is mapped and controlled to ensure even peak hours don’t cause unmanageable jams.

Full slide show on Economic Times

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/qui ... 829658.cms

My vote to the govt. that understands road and traffic management is ongoing job. All Tier2 cities incl. Blr and Hyd needs modern and rigorous traffic management.

[vsudhir]

Traffic management is here, finally!

By: Nandini Sen Gupta

Every time you’ve spent hours stuck in peak hour traffic anywhere in India, you’ve probably cursed the country's non-existent traffic planning and road sense for the mess.

But some of the Indian cities are now taking a lead in cranking out a modern traffic management system that will use high-tech tools and actually better deploy the traffic police force as well as ensure that the flow of traffic is mapped and controlled to ensure even peak hours don’t cause unmanageable jams.

Full slide show on Economic Times

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/qui ... 829658.cms

My vote to the govt. that understands road and traffic management is ongoing job. All Tier2 cities incl. Blr and Hyd needs modern and rigorous traffic management.

Sounds good. Only that all roads in the slideshow fotos show a right hand drive system unlike that in India. Unless all the fotos were printed reverse side from the negative.

[Gaurav_S]

Traffic management is here, finally!

By: Nandini Sen Gupta

Every time you’ve spent hours stuck in peak hour traffic anywhere in India, you’ve probably cursed the country's non-existent traffic planning and road sense for the mess.

But some of the Indian cities are now taking a lead in cranking out a modern traffic management system that will use high-tech tools and actually better deploy the traffic police force as well as ensure that the flow of traffic is mapped and controlled to ensure even peak hours don’t cause unmanageable jams.

Full slide show on Economic Times

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/qui ... 829658.cms

My vote to the govt. that understands road and traffic management is ongoing job. All Tier2 cities incl. Blr and Hyd needs modern and rigorous traffic management.

Sounds good. Only that all roads in the slideshow fotos show a right hand drive system unlike that in India. Unless all the fotos were printed reverse side from the negative.

Probably, cars and photos doesnt looks be Indian either. Only couple of them looks to be on Indian roads.

[Vasu]

none of them are pictures of Indian roads but I don't think that is the point here. Its like picking readily available cliparts that do the job.

All this technology will hopefully also take care of the extreme corruption among the traffic police who prefer to take 50 rupees rather than dishing out a 200 rupee challan. I've mostly been on Delhi roads and I know that Delhi police lead from the front in this regard.

[Gaurav_S]

First thing first. Adding cameras and all gadgets will make traffic easier to manage but cows, cattles and dogs family loitering on the roads make things worse.

Dont know about Hyd or Blr but in my city I wont be still surpised to see them. This is mainly because of few local communities who have some negotiations with hawaldar on city crossroads.

[shyamd]

Singha and others in BLR will be happy to hear this.
Respite for trapped traffickers

Already, the Commonwealth Games have triggered off a similar exercise in Delhi which is working on a brand new traffic management system.

But Delhi isn’t the only city to have started work in this area.

IT capital Bangalore is putting together a smart traffic management system that will use a combination of intelligent traffic mapping and high-tech, gizmo-happy control to better manage the city’s chaotic traffic.

BITS to bytes of road sense
According to sources in the auto industry, the project, dubbed as Intelligent Traffic Management System, is divided into three sub-systems covering data collection, processing the information, traffic management and guidance for individuals.

The first sub-system, which focuses on collection of traffic information, has worked out an innovative and new-age process of collecting data. This will be done through video cameras which are being deployed on all arterial roads across the city.

The video cameras will pick up traffic data-everything from petty violations like jumping red lights to serious accidents, or glitches like traffic lights not working-and feed it into a central control room.

The video cameras aren’t the only source of traffic data that will be used though. The project will also deploy an information system based on mobile phone signals from each road called Bits (Bangalore Transport Information System).

Cell management on roads
This passive tracking will offer insight in managing traffic congestion in a particular area which may require immediate attention.

The system will plot mobile phones on each road and these will appear as specs on a map like a radar screen.

The idea is based on the assumption that all car and bike owners have cell phones and the signals emitted by these can be used to track traffic congestion.

Zooming in on violators
The second part of the system is about processing the traffic information collected. All the data goes to the central control room or traffic management centre which is manned 24x7.

The officials manning this centre will watch the video feed and use that to catch traffic violators as well as accidents and their causes. The cameras are remote-controlled so even if there’s a hit and run, they can zoom in on the licence plate and offer photographic evidence of the violation.

Multi-tech challans coming
Meanwhile, the officials at the control room will be in touch with the traffic cops both on walkie-talkie as well as handheld PDAs. Yes, you got that right! The latter will get regular feeds on state of the traffic, time-taken and violations.

Traffic cops will carry automatic portable printers connected by Bluetooth to the PDA. So as soon as the monitoring room picks up a violation, it will relate the license number etc to the cops further up the road who in turn will keep a printed challan ready for the offender when he comes along. The entire system will be both transparent and a huge deterrant for rash driving.

Usher traffic warning systems
The third part of the project will involve managing traffic both through guidance as well as law enforcement. Like most cities in the West, Bangalore will also boast LED signs on all roads giving traffic information.

This information will also be shared with radio stations and mobile service providers so that traffic information is widely and easily available. The information will also be available on the Net as well as on helplines so that people can avoid congested routes or routes clogged due to accidents or road repair or other such reasons.

There will also be an 'Easy Call' call centre which will be manned 24 hours by agents speaking English, Hindi, Kannada and other south Indian languages along with Web-based automated software which will make it tamper proof.

This will eliminate the biggest complaints for those who avail of autos and taxis and put up with their refusal to go, harassment and demanding excess fare. All autos will have to register when they are ready to go for hire and give exact location via cell phone or SMS. Passenger too will place a call giving location and destination details. The call centre will arrange autos for a minimal charge.

The project, which will be launched in phases between March and August this year, will also use the data intelligently to decongest the city and punish repeat violators with bigger fines and even suspension of licenses.

[SBajwa]

This is jut a PR before Commonwealth games or to lure more foreigners into India.

Why can't we manage the traffic first and then advertise it?

Roads that accomodate all type of traffic from bicycles to rickshaws as well as bullock carts is the need., so create wide shoulders that accomodate non and semi-motorized traffic.

[Suraj]

On the progress of the rural roads program:
Rural roads scheme misses target by 54%

The ambitious rural road connectivity programme of the UPA government recorded a dismal performance in 2006-07, falling short of the target by nearly 54 per cent.

According to the targets under the Bharat Nirman programme, nearly 35,182 km roads were to be constructed during the year. The total sanctioned amount for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for 2006-07 was Rs 38,569 crore, of which the value of work done was less than half, at Rs 18,886 crore.

A look at the progress of the PMGSY reveals that only 16,328 km of new roads were laid till February 2007. In addition, work on the upgrade and renewal of the existing roads fell 34 per cent short of the target. As against the target of 54,669 km for 2006-07, only 36,590 km of roads were completed.

[Singha]

for a performance like this managers of a public co would lose their job.

[Singha]

Eicher has now published a high quality all-indian road atlas in same format
as their city map books in collab with NHAI and GOI. priced at 370/- I couldnt help buying it last week to finally pore over all the good stuff therein.
it also has a pullout indian road map for sticking up on the wall.

here is the link: http://maps.eicherworld.com/about.aspx? ... nk=&mid=42

they have also come with tourist guides I see:
http://maps.eicherworld.com/mapsguide.a ... l%20Guides

[vsudhir]

India's crowded roads: Death in the fast lane

Amelia gentleman in IHT. Part of this piece qualifies squarely for the psy-ops thread.

[shyamd]

MAA - BLR

[Singha]

is it like this all the way ? the farthest I been from Blore side is the intersection with whitefield road around 10km beyond the huge bridge. it was NOT 4-laned there.

[shaardula]

they prolly have the geometry & pavement pat.
now on to safety. medians & shoulders. medians & shoulders.

sharp grade 10-12 feet(min) wide moat type medians separating the two streams. softer impact barrier, minimizing glare.
crossover accidents on highways are pretty common.

as RMji would say in other contexts, these are all well studied, well understood & well solved problems. just copy.

city roads standards for highways, especially on ones like these that have high truck traffic?

[abhishek]

You people ask for too much! In a country where land is so much in short supply, you cannot always expect a 12 feet median. If anyone here has driven in Italy, you will know how narrow a highway lane/median can be even in some western countries.

[shaardula]

i am not asking for some fancy luxury. i am asking for a basic safe design.
you don't design roads for roads sake. you design it for user safety. provide tolerances for common, natural mishaps is all I am asking.

with a moat type median the impact is softer, provides time & space to recoupe from accidents, doesnot subject other vehicles to erratic maneuvers.

i am not peddling theories, thesis & eye candies.

[shyamd]

Most of it looks like is 4 laned like below, but only one patch is 3 laned. I got the pic from SSC.

[shaardula]

shyam thanks for the images.
four lanes have plenty capacity.

[bala]

Haryana to have new expressway

Buoyed by the success of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway, the HSIIDC has decided to develop a new transportation axis, the Ambala-Rohtak-Bawal Expressway, at a cost of about Rs. 4,400 crore. HSIIDC Managing Director Rajeev Arora said the project aims to develop a vertical axis right from the Rajasthan border on NH-8 near Bawal up to the Punjab border on NH-22.

He said besides enabling vertical integration of the NCR with the northern part of the State and easing traffic, the Expressway will also open up the backward districts of Kaithal, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani and Mahindergarh for investments.

[bala]

Can some road expert comment on the useless 1/2 lane on extreme left from Shyamd 1st pic. Again the lane width is really tight. Notice the two trucks hogging both lanes at relatively low speed, compared to modern day cars. This hampers fast moving traffic. In my experience, while traveling the modern highways, most of the traffic does not move over to slow lane and yield to faster moving traffic. Some of them straddle both lanes i.e. no lane discipline either.

[SRoy]

Can some road expert comment on the useless 1/2 lane on extreme left from Shyamd 1st pic. Again the lane width is really tight.

Probably a service lane or a toll free lane. These type of lanes are not useless...much used by aam janta

Notice the two trucks hogging both lanes at relatively low speed, compared to modern day cars. This hampers fast moving traffic. In my experience, while traveling the modern highways, most of the traffic does not move over to slow lane and yield to faster moving traffic. Some of them straddle both lanes i.e. no lane discipline either.

How did you make out the speeds just from a photograph?

Lane discipline is just one side of the story. We need to have the following.

1. Dedicated lane for 2 wheelers and 3 wheelers. They are slow and most accident prone when mixed with other vehicles.
2. Clearly marked and adequately constructed overtaking zones.

Lane discipline is a serious issue. Should the traffic authorities confiscate the driving license or impound the vehicles of the offenders? I believe unless there is some drastic punishment indisciplined morons won't behave.

[vina]

is it like this all the way ? the farthest I been from Blore side is the intersection with whitefield road around 10km beyond the huge bridge. it was NOT 4-laned there.

That is the Chittoor route.. Not national Highway and definitely not 4 laned. But a pretty decent road nevertheless.

The pics you are seeing is the NH4 route .. That is the Hosur-Vellore-Madras route. That is 4 laned and very good. At Krishnagiri, the road branches off into NH7 (which continues south to Salem , Madurai, Kanyakumari) and the NH 47 (i think) which goes towards vellore and Madras.

Those roads are the NHAI 4 lane roads. Quite good, but not protected access..

I have driven Bangalore Madras on both Chittoor and the NHAI routes. Used to take Chittoor when the NHAI was under construction (and used to be terrible).. After NHAI , I take the NH4 route and make BLR-Chennai door to door in around 4 1/2 hrs normally..

Link for map http://www.nhai.org/images/june06/nh4_smallMC.jpg

[kmc_chacko]

GOI should come out with a proper planning before executing the road widening or upgrading works. Just look at China follow its foot steps at least in building new roads. Roads should not only make transportation easy and comfort but it is also a tourist attraction. Well maintained roads are always liked by travelers. It will increase surely boost the economy. i.e., one mans expenditure is another’s income.

[shyamd]

http://img103.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... e1bcu5.jpg

BMIC- Bangalore Peripheral expressway
Copyright ankur betageri

[Vick]

Elevated ring road for Kolkata

PM News Bureau

The West Bengal government plans to construct a 42-km elevated ring road in Kolkata. The preliminary cost of the project is estimated at Rs 5,000 crore.

The ring road will begin from Salt Lake and touch Dum Dum airport, pass through Rajarhat, Chitpore, Bagbazar, BT Road, Tollygunge, Dhakuria, Alipore, and round off at Salt Lake. The road will have 11 intersections.
The state government will develop the project on public-private partnership basis. So far three foreign delegations from Indonesia and Singapore have shown interest in project and have already submitted proposals to the government for constructing the four-lane project. There will be an exclusive lane for buses.

[SSridhar]

That is the Chittoor route.. Not national Highway and definitely not 4 laned. But a pretty decent road nevertheless.

Vina, the Chittoor Route (the old Madras Road from Bangalore) is indeed NH 4 that goes all the way to Mumbai from Chennai.

The other road from Bangalore to Chennai is the Hosur Road (NH7) that becomes NH46 at Krishnagiri towards Chennai through Vellore. NH4 joins NH46 nearabouts Kancheepuram. NH7 of course continues further south to Kanyakumari.

[vina]

That is the Chittoor route.. Not national Highway and definitely not 4 laned. But a pretty decent road nevertheless.

Vina, the Chittoor Route (the old Madras Road from Bangalore) is indeed NH 4 that goes all the way to Mumbai from Chennai.

The other road from Bangalore to Chennai is the Hosur Road (NH7) that becomes NH46 at Krishnagiri towards Chennai through Vellore. NH4 joins NH46 nearabouts Kancheepuram. NH7 of course continues further south to Kanyakumari.

Hmm Okay.. Didnt know that the Chittoor road is actually NH4. I thought NH46 goes on to become NH4 after Bangalore and goes towards Mumbia and that the Bangalore - Chittoor stretches were state highways..

Anyways, it is the NH7 -NH46 route (Blr-Hosur-Vellor-Madras) which is 4 laned /NHAI std road and the pics were of those.. , unless the Chittoor-Madras route has also undergone a change very recently.

[Vipul]

Builders so no to Govt Subsidy on Roads.

NHAI: Firms get viability funding for projects but now some roads are so ‘lucrative’, govt itself is getting paid.

NEW DELHI, may 1: The country’s private sector seems to have turned bullish on road development projects in a big way. While the government typically provides grants in the form of ‘viability gap funding’ to make infrastructure projects feasible for private players, some companies are now saying ‘no’ to the aid. Instead, they are offering to pay the government a dedicated sum called a ‘negative grant’, to get contracts for potentially lucrative Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll projects.

In the last two years, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has received revenues to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore from negative grants. “There is so much money to be made in these projects that private companies are willing to pay us money to get development rights. We expect to generate substantial revenues through such negative grants in the future,â€

[Vidyarthi]

A Timely Alert on Obstacles to Highway development


Reference:

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007a/0705 ... India.html

Excerpts:

India's lax safety standards, few qualified personnel (are) obstacles to highway modernization

..............there are serious safety and personnel problems that need to be addressed.............

.....The modernization of the national highway network is critical to India's economic development, said Kumares C. Sinha, the Edgar B. and Hedwig M. Olson Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. But the current system and modernization efforts are plagued by major drawbacks, he said.

"Planning and design are often poorly done," said Sinha, who led the team. "Many projects are overdesigned, some are underdesigned. We found that there is an issue of accountability - that there are problems nobody takes responsibility for - and there needs to be more explicit accountability."

The team of engineers found serious lapses in construction safety and project supervision, he said.

"Planning and pre-engineering work is so poorly done that it delays land acquisition and construction," Sinha said. "And that can be improved substantially using improved technologies. For example, if they use aerial surveying methods, that will cut down construction time and cost. We also observed a terrible lack of safety in construction work zones."

...................

"We feel that there is a lot of talent at universities in India, but there is little connection between the universities and this massive transportation development," he said. "In the United States, building the interstate system left a legacy in higher education. We had a tremendous growth in our research and training and education because of the interstate system. The universities were brought into the effort. India should have universities as partners because there is a great need for properly trained engineers not only now for construction, but also in the future to manage and upgrade the system. Where will the talent come from?"

....................

The team traveled along India's national highway system for about two weeks last fall (September 2006), visiting construction sites, reviewing ongoing projects and meeting with government officials, engineers, contractors, design consultants and others.

[bala]

More Gowda antics on the NICE corridor, there is a nice picture of the roads.

Sword hangs over BMIC as Government contemplates annulling agreement

The Karnataka Government is likely to nullify the contract with the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), which is implementing the Bangalore-Mysore Expressway Project. Any decision of the Government will, however, be subject to the directions of the Supreme Court before which there are several petitions pertaining to the subject. The Government would require at least Rs. 5,000 crore to execute the project on the same standards prescribed for NICE.

[ramana]

From Pioneer 20 June 2007

Ministry seeks Cabinet nod for two-laning of highways

Nidhi Sharma | New Delhi

The Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways has decided to initiate phase IV of National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) - one of the most crucial phases - with two-laning of 155 highway stretches all over India.

The Ministry has prepared a Cabinet note for approval of Rs 27,800 crore phase which would include two-laning of 20,000 kilometres of national highways passing through several States.

This phase will include two-laning of single-lane highways thereby increasing their carrying capacity. The unique feature of this phase would be provision of paved shoulders in these highways. These shoulders would be 5-metre wide paved stretches on either side of the highways. The paved shoulders would be used by slow-moving traffic and trucks for overtaking. Sources said that 155 stretches have been identified all over the country starting from Agra to Tamil Nadu.

This time, the Ministry has decided not to entrust NHDP-IV to NHAI. A senior Ministry official said: "It will be implemented by the Ministry itself. The Ministry's chief engineers would supervise the project." Sources said that the decision has been taken seeing the tight deadline schedule. NHAI is already implementing remaining parts of Golden Quadrilateral and other phases of NHDP that involve four and six-laning of highways.

The Ministry will divide the 20,000-km NHDP-IV in different packages and give specific charge to chief engineers. Project directors will be appointed for dedicated packages. The official said: "This project would require going into interiors of the States. We will implement it ourselves and have project monitoring exercise at the Ministry level. This would cut down delays also."

Apart from NHDP-IV, the Ministry is now studying million-plus towns all over the country. These towns, near State Capitals like Bangalore and Hyderabad, would get ring roads and bypasses to decongest the burgeoning cities.

Good if it comes about. Will increase the property value of towns along the way.

[SaiK]

as i was doing IMHOs on the lane width should be at least 13'-15' for Indian conditions where the lorry/truck over loaded needs additional 2 ft either sides.

I think the 1/2 lane is a sudden idea that came while painting the roads.. they converted the shoulder to half lane.. i saw /ve seen many places in India, especially BLR.

And for getting this extra space per lane, India is hard pressed, then I believe we have no sanity left.

[Sanjay M]

China is building a road to Mount Everest, which will be completed in a few months:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6766143.stm

What is India doing? Only just learning of it?

[davidn]

Why exactly would you want India to spend hundreds of millions of dollars building a road from the Indian side of Maoist infested Nepal all the way to the Chinese side, just to get to a barren 8000m high rock?

There's no revenue to be gained from tourism..if someone thinks its interesting enough to visit for a holiday, let them walk.

[Singha]

I read a long article in last months india today spice on the everest scene.

expeditions from Nepal side are still controlled by some full-service cos who charge high, though not as high as the old days. they do some screeing of potential summiteers but this has become lax lately. there are reports of people who barely understand the techniques going up and a woman being taught to rappel on the 2nd stage up from base camp.

the chinese have moved in and done a walmart on this market. they allow anyone and everyone to take a trip. cut rate outfits are present who will summit you for $6000 onlee. some of the fatalities in recent years are unskilled or unfit people who couldnt cope when things turned south. the
chinese route demands from technical expertise not just fitness.

it takes 4 sherpas to bring down a dying man in good weather. in bad weather the team leads cannot send up sherpas to save dying people nor can returning exhausted climbers bring him along unless they are in walkable state. at best they can leave him some food or medicine and radio his condition to base....its called the Death Zone.

funny part was a supremely fit polish playboy centerfold summitted from
Nepal.

with this road, the chinese are going to mass market Everest to domestic tourists. you can expect a 737 capable airbase and hotel complexes to come up soon within 100-200 km on the tibet plateau and scheduled flights from major chinese cities and hopping from Lhasa.

I saw slides of the road to badrinath yesterday. its a one way one lane
road carved out of vertical cliffsides...scary in the extreme. the person showing slides said military vehicles are allowed to come from opp direction anytime and showed a crossing, the bus on outer side was around 0.2mm from the vertical edge and from the army truck. not a trip for the faint of heart. the road is open onlee for 4 months in summer it seems.