Zojila: The work on the strategic Zojila tunnel – an all-weather connection between Kashmir and Ladakh – is going on at a rapid pace and over 35 percent of the work on the main tunnel has been completed while the construction agency is hopeful that the work would be completed by the set deadline of year 2026.
The harsh weather conditions in the Himalayas and the tunnel’s location at 11,578 feet above the sea level make it a challenging project.
On completion, the engineering marvel would be the first of its kind in such a geographical zone.
According to official sources, the Zojila project involves the construction of a 14.15-km long tunnel at an altitude of about 9850 geet under the Zojila pass (currently motorable only for eight months a year) on the highway connecting Srinagar and Leh through Drass and Kargil.
It is one of the most dangerous stretches in the world to drive a vehicle and this project is also geo-strategically sensitive.
The tunnel would provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Leh Leh and would bring about an all-round economic and socio-cultural integration of J&K and Ladakh.
The Zojila Tunnel would be a two-lane tunnel. It would be 31 feet wide and 25 feet high in the shape of a horseshoe.
The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), an advanced technology, is being used in the construction.
The Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) is executing the project for the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways undertaking.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, General Manager of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), V K Panday said that the work on the Zojila Tunnel was going on smoothly.
“Over 35 percent of the work on the main tunnel has been completed. The work is going on smoothly,” he said. “The area is severely avalanche-prone. The work had to be stopped multiple times due to the difficulties posed by the weather in winters. The tunnel is to be completed by December 2026 and if the conditions remain favourable, the work will be completed by set deadline.”
The total length of the project from Sonamarg to Minimarg is 31 km. From Sonamarg to Baltal, it is 18 km, and then the main tunnel from Baltal to Minimarg is 13-km long.
Earlier this year, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari along with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Road Transport and Highways visited the Zojila Tunnel and reviewed its progress.