The Rs 6,800-crore Zojila tunnel, Asia's longest tunnel connecting the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh, on Tuesday achieved a significant breakthrough with a blast breaking through the last 2.5 metres of the 13-km high-altitude infrastructure project that cuts through the Himalayas.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari performed the breakthrough blasting of the main tunnel being constructed at an altitude of 11,578 feet above sea level, around 24 km from Sonamarg and 103 km from Srinagar.
Addressing the media, the minister said the project is a lifeline for the people of Leh, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. It is at a height of 3,000 metres and workers have given their contribution by working in temperatures as low as minus four degrees.
He said 80 per cent of the workforce belongs to the region, and added that the project will provide all-weather connectivity to people of Ladakh region to Srinagar.
The breakthrough blasting of the main tunnel was conducted at an equidistant of 6.5 km, providing access to East Portal (east side) to West Portal (west side).
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were also present on the occasion.
Officials of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) said the breakthrough is six months ahead of schedule.
As of now, about 85 per cent of the total work has been completed, Authority Engineer for the project, Yousef Es'haghpour Rahimabadi, told PTI here.
The tunnel is likely to be thrown open to the public in February 2028, the officials said, adding that after the breakthrough, the civil works will take another seven to eight months before the electrical works will begin.
The tunnel, 9.5 metre wide, 7.57 metre high and 13.153 km long, is a horseshoe-shaped single-tube, a two-lane road tunnel built at the height of around 11,578 feet above sea level.
Abdullah appreciated the ministry for the Zojila tunnel project.
"People of Ladakh region saw this dream long ago. It (connectivity) has been their dream for long.
"But no one was able to fulfil this dream. People had to face a lot of problems with respect to education, tourism, medical treatment," he said, adding that the tunnel will improve the lives of people.
He also urged Gadkari to help in providing the region air connectivity as well in the future.
Once completed, the bi-directional tunnel will significantly improve access to Drass, Kargil and Leh, while enhancing civilian mobility, logistics and regional connectivity in this strategically important area.
In tunnelling, a breakthrough refers to the moment when teams involved in excavation work from both sides meet at a given point.
"The Zojila Tunnel is one of India's most challenging infrastructure projects taking shape in the heights of the Himalayas. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Indian engineers have turned the challenges into an opportunity," the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways said.
The tunnel is also expected to boost economic activity, tourism and regional development.
Besides, it will address transportation challenges through the Zojila Pass, which remains closed for several months every year due to heavy snowfall, avalanches and extreme weather conditions.
The tunnel from Baltal in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir to Minimarg in Drass district of the Union Territory of Ladakh has an 18-km approach road.
Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), the agency executing the project, used the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) to pierce through the Himalayas and navigate the fragile geology.
The entire project is 31 km long, including the approach road and bridges, stretching from Sonmarg to Minimarg.
Once operational, the tunnel would enhance both civilian and military mobility across the treacherous Zojila Pass that is usually rendered shut for traffic for three winter months due to heavy snowfall.
MEIL won the project from the NHIDCL and began constructing the tunnel in October 2020.
Speaking further, Gadkari said that multiple rounds of bids were invited for the project.
In the fifth round, the estimation for the project was delivered around Rs 12,000 crore but "we are building it at around Rs 7,000 crore. So we saved Rs 5,000 crore".
MEIL is aiming to complete the project by 2028. However, it will continue to operate and maintain the tunnel for a period of five years after commissioning, officials said.
Besides being the longest tunnel project in Asia, Zojila is also among the world's highest tunnel projects, the officials said.
Over the last five years, the site has witnessed five avalanche incidents, including a severe one in January 2023 when 172 workers stranded in the area were rescued by the Indian Army.
Despite these challenges, the project has achieved 10 million safe man-hours, MEIL said.
The geo-strategically important tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway will provide year-round, all-weather connectivity to Ladakh, reducing the travel time from 1-1.5 hours to 15 minutes, the officials said.
