New Delhi, Aug 8: Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that the Zojila tunnel will be completed by September 2026,
With a total project cost of Rs 6,809.69 crore, the Zojila Tunnel project consists of the construction of a tunnel of 13.153 km and approach roads to a tunnel of length 17.030 km, totaling a length of 30.18 km.
Gadkari said that the total project cost is Rs. 6,809.69 crore and the physical progress of the project as of date is 52.13 percent.
“The scheduled completion date of the project is 29.09.2026,” he said, adding that at least 1043 locals have been employed by the supervising consultant, contractor & sub-contractor
Zojila tunnel is located at the existing highway (NH-01) starting from Sonamarg (UT of J&K) and ending at Minamarg (UT of Ladakh) at an elevation ranging from 2700m to 3300m, thus making the Zojila Tunnel (13.2 km) the longest tunnel at this elevation in Asia region. The present site location falls into seismic zone IV and all precautionary measures have been provisioned to safeguard the structures provisioned in the project.
The Zojila tunnel has been planned as a smart tunnel. It will have the latest safety features like a fully transverse ventilation system, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), Tunnel Emergency Lighting, CCTV Monitoring, Variable Message Signs (VMS), Traffic Logging Equipment, Height Vehicle Detection, Tunnel Radio System, etc.
Zojila is the second tunnel on the Srinagar-Kargil stretch to be built on the national highway to ensure round the year connectivity between the valley and the cold desert of Ladakh.
The 434 km long Srinagar-Leh highway passes through the most unstable and avalanche-prone areas. From kilometer 80 (near Sonamarg) to kilometer 114 (Minimarg), there are 109 avalanche-prone spots. Particularly the area ahead of Gagangir in Sonamarg to Minimarg ahead of Zojila remains snowbound during winters. The tunnels are being considered a safe bet which will provide all-weather road connectivity to Ladakh.