Leh, Apr 24 : After nearly five months of closure due to heavy snowfall during winter, the Border Roads Organisation has reopened the 428-km Leh-Manali National Highway for vehicular traffic, officials announced on Wednesday. The vital highway, serving as an alternate route linking the Union Territory of Ladakh with the rest of the country via Himachal Pradesh, was shut down in November as snow accumulated. A defence spokesperson based in Leh confirmed that the road was now accessible to vehicles following the successful snow clearance operation carried out by the BRO. “The snow clearance was conducted by the 111 Road Construction Company (RCC) and 753 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) under Project HIMANK in Ladakh, and 70 RCC and 38 BRTF under Project Deepak in Himachal Pradesh,” the spokesperson stated. “This complex operation involved two teams clearing snow simultaneously from opposite ends. With skilled manpower and advanced machinery, Project Deepak focused on the Manali to Sarchu section, while Project Himank cleared the highway from Leh to Sarchu,” the spokesperson elaborated. He noted that the teams braved severe weather conditions, including snowstorms and challenging terrains at high altitudes, to clear the highway and traverse four significant passes: Baralacha La (15,910 ft), Nakee La (15,547 ft), Lachung La (16,616 ft), and Tanglang La (17,482 ft).