Construction of Zojila Pass tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh highway gets a green signal

The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of Zojila Pass tunnel on the Srinagar to Leh national highway. All set to become Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel, the estimated cost of building the Zojila Pass tunnel is INR 6,089 crore.

When operational, the tunnel would bring down the travel time through the Zojila Pass to just 15 minutes, as opposed to the three and half hour duration that it takes at the moment.
Planned as a 14.2 km-long tunnel, the construction of the Zojila Pass tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir was given a go-ahead by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. The main purpose of building the tunnel is to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Leh, a popular destination which remains cut-off from the rest of the country during winters due to heavy snowfall.

Located at an altitude of 11,578 ft, the Zojila Pass is an important part on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Nation Highway, but it remains closed from December to April every year. The other popular route taken by tourists to reach Ladakh is the Manali-Leh highway.

Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari said, "Zojila tunnel will be the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. Its construction period will be seven years because of a very difficult terrain where in some areas temperature dips to minus 45 degree celsius. The tunnel shall be a engineering marvel as first of its kind in such a geographical area."

With the construction work likely to start this year itself, this tunnel project also holds a strategic and socio-economic importance as it will act as a major source of development and livelihood for the economically backward regions of Jammu and Kashmir.