National Highway 3 (NH 3) in India: Routes, Length, Entry/Exit Points & Rules

National Highways help in connecting important cities or towns for smooth and efficient transportation of goods and people across the country. These are major and strategic roads that connect large cities in India, and they are designed to carry large traffic and high vehicular speed.

Here in this article, we have discussed some of the interesting facts on National Highway 3 (NH 3).

Here are the details of NH 3, including routes and entry and exit points.

States Falling Under National Highway 3 (NH3)

In 2010, the National Highway Authority of India renumbered all the existing national highways. Several parts of the former NH1 and NH70 have been clubbed with certain parts of the former NH21 to form a new highway known as National Highway 3.

The new NH3 passes along the following states and union territories:

• Punjab
• Himachal Pradesh
• Ladakh

Entry and Exit Points of National Highway 3

The NH 3 stretches from Atari (in Punjab) and ends in the Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir. It passes through three states, namely Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

The road passes through some of the most beautiful landscapes, and several parts of NH 3 stretch through several mountain passes like the Rohtang Pass, Baralacha La, Nakee La, Lachulung La and Taglang La.

The following are the types of vehicles and transports allowed on National Highway 3:

• Car (SUV, sedan, hatchback, compact SUV, micro, pickup, van)
• Light commercial (LCV)
• Bus or truck
• Up to three-axle vehicles
• Four to six-axle vehicles
• HCM/EME
• Vehicles with seven or more axles

The following are the speed limits set by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for various categories of vehicles passing through NH 3.

• Motorcycles: 80 km per hour
• Quadricycle: 60 km per hour
• Three-wheeled vehicles: 50 km per hour
• Motor vehicles with not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat used to carry passengers: 100 km per hour
• Motor vehicles having nine or more seats in addition to the driver’s seat used to carry passengers: 90 km per hour
• Motor vehicles used to carry goods: 80 km per hour

The National Highway Three passes over the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. Here are some of the amazingly beautiful places it passes over:

1. Ladakh

Ladakh is a picturesque town near the National Highway 3. Here are some of the most beautiful places one must consider visiting:

• Leh

2. Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a mountain town with snow-clad mountains, thickly forested valleys, large lakes, and terraced fields. Here are some of the places people can visit:

• Kullu 
• Manali 
• Mandi
• Kyelong
• Kotli
• Sarkaghat

3. Punjab

Visit these famous places in Punjab when you are travelling through the incredibly beautiful National Highway 3:

• Jalandhar
• Amritsar

There are several key points that one must consider while travelling via National Highway 3, especially if you are taking this route for the first time. Some of the key points include:

• Consider maintaining a moderate speed while travelling via National Highway 3, as the majority of accidents take place due to speeding. Try to avoid overtaking other vehicles frequently.

• Consider driving slowly inside a tunnel, as there can be certain routes of NH 3, which comprises tunnels like the Atal Tunnel, which lies in the Rohtang pass connecting Manali and Leh.

• As some of the major parts of National Highway 3 pass through mountain ranges, there can be sharp turns and twists where overspeeding can be deadly. Thus, ensuring your commercial vehicle insurance policy includes coverage for such high-risk areas is crucial.

• Driving on national highways, especially in hilly areas, can be dangerous at night, as it can lead to accidents due to poor visibility and exhaustion.

• Always keep an eye on the road signs and symbols and maintain the recommended speed limit. Also, drive extra carefully in accident-prone zones.

To conclude, travelling on a national highway can be risky. Therefore, one must have prior knowledge about the route’s geographical view and local facts. Hopefully, this article was a helpful guide for travelling through NH 3.