The strategic Zojila Tunnel, on June 9, achieved its ‘final breakthrough’ as the blasting of final pieces of mountain rocks linked its two ends to pave the way for all-weather and quick connectivity between Ladakh and Kashmir. The event also marked completion of the tunnelling work that began in October 2020 in what is being hailed as a historic milestone in India’s infrastructure history.
Being constructed at an altitude of 11,578 feet above sea level, Zojila is the world’s longest single-tube, bidirectional road tunnel at that height. Once thrown open for use, the 13.15-km-long tunnel would also serve strategic and logistics purposes for the Indian Army deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the backdrop of the border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.
The breakthrough event was attended by Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha and J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah.
Year-round connectivity with Kashmir and the rest of India has been a longstanding demand of the people of land-locked Ladakh, which beginning winters stays cut off for nearly six months due to heavy snowfall along the treacherous Zojila Pass in the Himalayas.
The tunnel project is being executed by Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) for the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) at an estimated cost of Rs 6,809.7 crore. It encompasses 17 km of approach roads on both ends of the tunnel. The western end of the tunnel starts at Baltal in Ganderbal district of Kashmir; the eastern portal lies in Meenamarg in Drass sector of Ladakh.
MEIL officials said the “achievement of the final breakthrough” was a “defining construction milestone” of the excavation phase and reflected the successful completion of the “most critical stage” of underground works in “highly demanding” terrain.
The Zojila Tunnel is being constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), billed as particularly suited to the fragile Himalayan geology and variable rock conditions. “NATM relies on sequential excavation, immediate support measures such as shotcrete and rock bolting, and continuous geotechnical monitoring, allowing engineers to respond flexibly to changing ground conditions during tunnelling,” MEIL said in a statement, adding that this approach has been critical to maintaining stability, safety, and construction progress in one of the most demanding underground environments in India.
The tunnel bypasses the Zojila Pass—also known as ‘The Mountain Pass of Blizzards’— at 11,650 feet. The overground road stretch passing through this Himalayan belt claims dozens of lives each year in accidents.
“Ladakh is a landlocked region completely cut off during winter months from the rest of the world. But that is going to change as the Zojila Tunnel would now provide all-weather connectivity to this geographically beautiful region,” Harpal Singh, joint chief operating officer of MEIL, told INDIA TODAY.
The Zojila Tunnel project is part of a mega infrastructure push by the Union government comprising 31 tunnels— 20 in J&K and 11 in Ladakh—aimed at boosting connectivity to the region and enhancing strategic preparedness. Once fully operational, it promises 365day connectivity between Srinagar and Ladakh while improving access to Drass, Kargil, Leh and the surrounding regions.
“The tunnel also has strategic importance as it would strengthen military movements to the borders and help meet external threats”, Singh said, describing it as an important component of the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway.
Celebrating the breakthrough, Ghulam Abbas Abidi, chairman of the Hajj Committee, Ladakh, told INDIA TODAY that people in Leh and Kargil were joyous as the tunnel would end their hardships. “Travel time between Kargil and Srinagar would now be reduced from five hours to three hours,” Abidi said.
The Zojila Tunnel includes the Nilgrar twin tunnels, a 450-metre snow gallery, seven cut-and-cover structures with a total length of 2.35 km and three major brides measuring a total of 460 metres. These components have been completed by MEIL ahead of schedule.
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