news details |
|
|
| Over 60-year-old dream nears reality as Zojila Tunnel achieves historic breakthrough blast | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, June 9: In a landmark moment for Ladakh and one of India's most ambitious infrastructure projects, a successful breakthrough blast was carried out on Tuesday at the under-construction Zojila Tunnel, marking the completion of excavation and the joining of the two ends of the tunnel.
The milestone, achieved nearly six months ahead of schedule, has brought the long-cherished dream of year-round connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh significantly closer to reality. For decades, residents of the high-altitude region have endured prolonged winter isolation due to the closure of the Zojila Pass, which remains snowbound for several months every year.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari witnessed the historic breakthrough blast during a ceremony held at the tunnel's East Portal in Minimarg, Ladakh. The event was attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior government officials, engineers, project workers, and local residents.
Officials of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) said nearly 85 per cent of the project has been completed and the tunnel is expected to be opened for public use by February 2028. With the excavation phase now complete, the remaining civil works are expected to be finished within the next seven to eight months, followed by electrical, ventilation, communication, and other technical installations.
Constructed at an altitude of about 11,578 feet, the 13.153-kilometre-long tunnel is among the world's longest bidirectional road tunnels. Designed as a horseshoe-shaped, single-tube, two-lane tunnel, it measures 9.5 metres in width and 7.57 metres in height.
According to Yusuf Ishaghpour Rahimabadi, the project's authority engineer, construction work is progressing rapidly, with most major structural components already completed.
The strategically significant tunnel is being built on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway and will connect Baltal in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district with Minimarg in the Drass sector of Ladakh. The project also includes an 18-kilometre approach road, taking the total project length, including roads and bridges, to approximately 31 kilometres.
The tunnel is being executed by Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), a specialised engineering technique suited to the fragile and complex geological conditions of the Himalayas. The technology has enabled engineers to safely navigate difficult rock formations and landslide-prone terrain during construction.
Once operational, the tunnel is expected to transform travel and transportation in the region. Officials said that while crossing the Zojila Pass currently takes between one and one-and-a-half hours under favourable weather conditions, the tunnel will reduce travel time to just 15 minutes. More importantly, it will ensure uninterrupted all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh throughout the year.
Apart from easing civilian travel, the project is expected to provide a major boost to economic activity, tourism, trade, and employment in Ladakh and adjoining areas. It will also significantly strengthen military mobility and logistics support to forward areas along India's northern borders.
Addressing the gathering, Ladakh Lok Sabha member Mohammad Hanifa Jan described the breakthrough as the fulfilment of a decades-old aspiration of the people of Ladakh.
"A dream of the last 60 to 70 years is now nearing fulfilment. On behalf of the people of Ladakh, I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Practical work on this tunnel gained momentum after the BJP came to power, and Gadkari personally monitored its progress," he said.
Emphasising the strategic importance of the project, Jan said the need for a tunnel at Zojila was widely felt during the 1999 Kargil conflict.
"This tunnel will accelerate the economic development of Ladakh and Kargil and provide immense benefits to students, patients and the elderly. It will serve as a lifeline for the region and ensure year-round connectivity," he added.
Yusuf Ishaghpour Rahimabadi said the breakthrough marked a major engineering achievement in the execution of the project.
"Approximately 80 per cent of the project has been completed. The remaining work may take another two years. However, the joining of the two ends of the tunnel is a major milestone, and we are proud to have successfully achieved this stage of the project," he said.
The breakthrough at the Zojila Tunnel is being hailed as a significant milestone in India's infrastructure journey and a major step towards integrating Ladakh with the rest of the country through reliable, all-weather connectivity. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
