Summary
Content
04/04/06
Conclusions:
The road has no serious problems and is accessible to all traffic. Earthquake damage is minimal. However this road is probably of minimal operational utility due to the length of the driving time involved.
Town Coordinates
1. Munasa (34.08242645, 73.50547596)
2. Kalyari (33.90292598, 73.58913875)
3. Jandalah (33.96781691, 73.6438191)
4. Arja (33.97427291, 73.65804655)
Munasa - Kalyari: 1 hour driving time
The road from Kohala to Bagh ascends from the Jeelum River and immediately comes to the town of Munhasan / Munasan. Just after this town on the right hand side of the road is a junction heading back down around the slope towards the river. This is the road to Tain/Kalyari and Rawalpindi. Heading south along the ridge above the east side of the Jeelum River, there is a sign for Kalyari 32km. The road is smooth and well surfaced. About a kilometer from Munhasan, there is one patch with a lot of debris before the road reaches Kalyari / Tain Union Council. The other landmarks before Kalyari are the towns of Dirskandarabad and Seri Bandi as well as a bridge over an inflowing tributary of the Jeelum River.
At Kalyari, the road splits into two. On the road straight ahead, access to the bridge leading to Rawalpindi is blocked by a landslide. Therefore, to reach this bridge one must take the road on the left, which climbs up over a hill and arrives at a second intersection. A right turn here will lead across the bridge and to Rawalpindi. A left turn leads to Arja.
Kalyari - Arja: 2.5 hours driving time
The road towards Arja becomes increasingly rocky as it follows a typically narrow cliff line. It is still accessible for all vehicles, but is not regularly paved. Majit Kala is the first settlement reached. There is a junction south of here. After Majit Kala is a bridge that takes the road along the south cliff line of this valley. A few small cobbled roads wind up the slope on the south/cliff-side of the road, such as at the settlement of Talah (33.93720721, 73.62459445). 10-20 ton Bedford trucks driving from the direction of Arja indicate that it is no trouble for local drivers to get goods/vehicles up the road despite the serpentine unpaved road quality. While some cleared slides are evident along the road, there are comparatively few. There does not seem to be significant earthquake damage in the area. The next major settlement is Jandala. On the way out of Jandala is a police checkpoint and junction. To the right/south, the road goes to Pachote and onto Rawalakot. To the left/north, the road goes to Arja. The road now rapidly descends towards the Arja bridge and HLZ and then reaches the town of Arja on the main route between Dhirkot and Bagh.
For more information on Bagh area roads please contact UNJLC Bagh at +92 (0)300 856 39588.