Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will attend the breakthrough ceremony.
Hyderabad: The Zojila Tunnel Project, which will provide year‑round connectivity between the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, is set for a breakthrough on June 9.
The 13.153‑km Zojila Tunnel — the world’s longest single‑tube bi‑directional road tunnel — is being executed at high altitude by Hyderabad‑based Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd. (MEIL). Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will attend the breakthrough ceremony.
Stretching from Baltal near Sonamarg to Meenamarg in the Drass‑Kargil region, the tunnel is being built at an elevation of about 11,578 feet above sea level. It is expected to provide a permanent solution to connectivity challenges posed by the Zojila Pass, which remains closed for several months each year due to heavy snowfall, avalanches and extreme weather.
Constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), the project is regarded as one of India’s most significant engineering achievements in mountain infrastructure.
