India’s ambitious, strategic, all-weather Zojila Tunnel in a volatile seismic zone IV will witness the final breakthrough on June 9 as Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will oversee the final blasting from the Kargil side. The 13.14 km-long tunnel cuts through the mighty Himalayas at an altitude of 11,578 feet and connects the Kashmir valley with Ladakh’s Kargil.

Mr. Gadkari will preside over the process of final blasting of the last block, which will see the tunnel through. The tunnel is likely to allow security officials to ferry goods, machines and stocks to the high-altitude bases of Ladakh at the peak winter for the first time ever in coming winters, officials said. Earlier, stocks would be maintained during early autumn months to feed soldiers on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in winters.  

The Zojila Tunnel bypasses the weather-dependent Zojila Pass, which is prone to landslides, shooting stones and remains closed due to snow accumulation in winters. 

‘A defining moment’

A spokesman of the Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL), which started work on the tunnel in 2020, termed the final breakthrough “a defining moment”. “It demonstrates the successful execution of one of India’s most complex transport infrastructure works in a hostile Himalayan environment,” said senior MEIL officials. 

The excavation work has been completed on the world’s longest single‑tube bi‑directional road tunnel at an altitude of over 11,500 feet. “The project will deliver the long‑envisioned objective of seamless, all‑weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh, bringing long‑term benefits in mobility, economic integration, and strategic resilience,” said MEIL officials.

The tunnel cost more than ₹6,800 crore. A 7.57 metre high horseshoe-shaped single-tube two-lane tunnel will pass under the arduous Zojila Pass between Ganderbal district in Kashmir and Drass district of Ladakh. Officials say the travel time will come down from three hours to 20 minutes between Ganderbal and Kargil.

Extreme weather conditions

The construction of the tunnel faced a major challenge from extreme weather conditions, which dropped from minus 20 degrees Celsius to minus 30 degrees Celsius for nearly 100 days a year. Officials said the project site faced five major avalanche situations in the past five years and damaged machinery and equipment. On January 15, 2023, the Army rescued and evacuated over 172 workers stranded in an avalanche. Two employees also lost their lives. “This highly volatile geology was successfully managed through the expertise of our skilled crew,” said officials.

Officials said the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) was employed because it suited 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,” the officials added.

The Zojila Tunnel has four culverts, four Nilgrar tunnels, eight cut-and-cover passes and 220 metres of vertical ventilation shaft. The West Portal of the tunnel starts at Baltal and ends at the East Portal at Meenamarg.