With the Cabinet Committee on infrastructure giving its approval for four-lane of the Parwanoo-Shimla stretch of the National Highway-22, decks for its expansion have been cleared. However, shortly after the approval the state government has initiated steps to include the remaining portion of the highway from Solan to Shimla, sanctioned under the NHDP Phase III, in the recently approved four-lane scheme of things.

According to available reports, work on the four-laning of the Zirakpur-Parwanoo stretch of the national highway is in full swing. This portion had not been included earlier as the passenger flow of the vehicular vehicles on this stretch was less than the requisite conditions. The authorities now assumed that by the time the four-laning of Parwanoo-Solan section would be completed, the remaining section from Solan-Shimla would also receive the central government approval.

Delhi-based Span Consultants have surveyed the 111-km of NH starting from Tipra village on the Haryana-Himachal border up to Dhalli village near Shimla. The existing two-way carriageway, which has been in use for decades, has unmanageable traffic flow leading to accidents. The survey report for the NH-22 points out that in order to facilitate expansion, land acquisition has to be undertaken both from the valley as well as the hillside. Ensuring smooth flow of vehicular traffic a 30-metre road is required to convert the highway into a four lane carriageway.