Terrain, Weather Challenges Push Zojila Tunnel Deadline To 2030
NDTV
The tunnel project through the Zojila Pass at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway is of strategic importance.
Difficult terrain and weather challenges have pushed the deadline for completion of the Zojila tunnel, which will provide all-weather connectivity between the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh region, to December 2030, according to officials.
The tunnel, said to be the longest of its kind in Asia and at the highest altitude, will significantly cut down the time to cross the Zojila pass from four hours to just 15 minutes, they said.
Officials said that while 40 per cent of work on the 13-km-long tunnel is already over, the challenges posed by the terrain and weather are such that the rest of the work is taking so much time.
