Rohtang Tunnel christened as Atal Tunnel to open soon

The strategic Rohtang tunnel that will connect Manali in Himachal Pradesh with Leh, Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir, has been christened as the Atal Tunnel. Indian PM Narendra Modi, while speaking at an event on Wednesday, named the tunnel after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to pay tribute to him on his 95th birth anniversary.

The Rohtang tunnel, touted to be the longest mountain tunnel in the world, will be cutting the road distance between Leh and Manali by 46 km and reduce the travel time by five hours. The 8.8 km long tunnel will be the world’s longest tunnel, and has been built at an altitude of 3000 m.
While addressing the event, he stated that the tunnel is a gift to the people of Himachal Pradesh, which will be of great importance both from the point of view of tourism and national security.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that the tunnel was close to Vajpayee’s vision of development, and will change the fortunes of people staying in Leh, Ladakh, and Kargil.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the government fulfilled the long-pending demand to name the tunnel after the former prime minister. He mentioned that the construction of INR 4000 crore tunnel will be completed by 2020. The historic decision to construct the strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken in 2000 when Vajpayee was the prime minister.

Reports state that as soon as the Atal Tunnel is thrown open, it will prove to be an all-weather road to remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, which otherwise remain cut off for six months during winters from the rest of the country.