In News- Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari recently reviewed the construction work of the strategically important Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels on the Srinagar-Leh highway.
About Zojila tunnel-
- The 434-km Srinagar-Leh road connecting the Kashmir valley with Ladakh is snowed out at the 3,530-metre Zojila pass for four to six months every year.
- Once completed, at 14.15 km, the Zojila tunnel will be India’s longest road tunnel, and Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel.
- The Zojila tunnel between Baltal and Minamarg on the Srinagar-Leh section will provide all-year connectivity between Leh and Srinagar.
- The distance from Baltal to Minamarg will come down to 13 km from the present 40 km, travel time is expected to be cut by an hour and a half.
- The Z-Morh tunnel between Gagangir and Sonmarg will provide connectivity in all weather conditions between Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and Kargil in Ladakh.
- The highway will have 2 twin-tube tunnels, 5 bridges, and 2 snow galleries.
Note- Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel, also known as Syama Tunnel, and formerly as Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, is a road tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located in the Lower Himalayas, on National Highway 44. It is also called Patnitop Tunnel. It is India’s longest road tunnel with a length of 9.28 km and the country’s first tunnel with a fully integrated tunnel control system.
Source: India Today
