Over 13-Km Excavation Completed in Asia’s Longest Bi-Directional Tunnel Project; All-Weather Srinagar-Ladakh Connectivity Moves Closer to Reality
Touseef Wani
Minamarg, June 9 : In a landmark moment for Jammu and Kashmir’s infrastructure development, the much-awaited Zojila Tunnel project is poised to achieve a major breakthrough today, marking a significant step towards ensuring year-round road connectivity between Srinagar and Ladakh.
The breakthrough ceremony will witness the completion of more than 13 kilometres of excavation work on the strategically important tunnel, regarded as Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel project. Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 6,500 crore, the ambitious project is expected to transform travel and logistics across the region by providing uninterrupted connectivity through the challenging Zojila Pass.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, is scheduled to attend the historic event and witness the breakthrough blast, which symbolises a crucial milestone in one of the country’s most significant road infrastructure initiatives.
Once completed, the Zojila Tunnel will drastically reduce travel disruptions caused by heavy snowfall and harsh weather conditions, enhancing mobility, boosting tourism, strengthening defence logistics, and accelerating economic growth in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The breakthrough is being viewed as a major engineering achievement and a significant stride towards realising the vision of seamless all-weather connectivity in the Himalayan region.
