Modi Government Plan: The construction work of the strategically important Zojila tunnel connecting the Kashmir Valley with the Ladakh region is going on in full swing and about 40 per cent of the excavation work has been completed. The construction company expects the project to be completed by December 2026. The tunnel project under construction at Zojila Pass at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway assumes strategic importance as the highway is closed during winters due to heavy snowfall, cutting off the Ladakh region from the Kashmir Valley. The Zojila tunnel will connect Baltal in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district via a miniway to Drass town in Kargil district in Ladakh. There is an 18 km long approach road from Sonamarg to Baltal, while the length of the main tunnel is 13 km. Harpal Singh, project head of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), the company building this tunnel, said that its work is going on at full speed.
Total length of the project 31 km
This project of the Government of India is very revolutionary. The total length of the project from Sonamarg to Minimarg is 31 km. There is a 18 kilometer long route from Sonamarg to Baltal and then a 13 kilometer main tunnel from Baltal to Minimarg. Work on both the projects is going on at a fast pace. Singh said that due to frequent avalanches in January, the work had to be stopped for two months. Two people were killed in the avalanche and 38 pieces of construction equipment belonging to the construction company were buried under the snow, which are yet to be recovered. He said it was a temporary disruption. The entire project is expected to be completed by December, 2026. The Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Road Transport and Highways, headed by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, is arriving on Monday to inspect the project.
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