Zojila Tunnel breakthrough achieved six months ahead of schedule, boosting Ladakh connectivity

Tuesday was a historic day for the inhabitants of the mountainous region of Ladakh as a successful breakthrough blast was conducted in the Zojila Tunnel, one of the nation’s most ambitious and dream infrastructure projects.

Residents of Ladakh had been waiting for this moment for decades because, with the completion of the blasting process connecting the two ends of the tunnel, the dream of round-the-year uninterrupted connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh has moved closer to reality.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari witnessed the historic breakthrough blast at a ceremony held at the East Portal in Minimarg, Ladakh. According to officials, the milestone was achieved approximately six months ahead of schedule.

Officials of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) stated that nearly 85 per cent of the tunnel work has been completed and that it is expected to be opened to the public by February 2028. Following the breakthrough, the remaining civil works will be completed over the next seven to eight months, after which electrical and other technical installations will begin.

Built at an altitude of approximately 11,578 feet, the tunnel is 13.153 kilometres long, 9.5 metres wide, and 7.57 metres high. This horseshoe-shaped, single-tube, two-lane road tunnel is among the longest bidirectional tunnels in the world. According to Yusuf Ishaghpour Rahimabadi, the project’s authority engineer, construction is progressing rapidly, and most of the major structural work has already been completed.

Located on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, this strategically important tunnel will connect Baltal in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir with Minimarg in the Drass region of Ladakh. An approximately 18-kilometre-long approach road is also being developed as part of the project. The total length of the project, including roads and bridges, is 31 kilometres.

Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited, the company executing the project, used the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) to construct the tunnel in the complex and sensitive geological conditions of the Himalayas. This technology enabled the safe construction of the tunnel through difficult rock formations and landslide-prone areas.

Once the tunnel becomes operational, travel between Srinagar and Leh will become significantly easier. According to officials, while it previously took between one and one-and-a-half hours to cross the Zojila Pass, the tunnel will reduce the travel time to just 15 minutes. Most importantly, the Zojila Pass, which remained closed for several months every winter due to heavy snowfall, will effectively be bypassed, ensuring year-round connectivity.

The project will not only improve connectivity and create economic opportunities for the people of Ladakh but will also provide a major boost to military mobility and logistics supply in the border areas. The breakthrough of the Zojila Tunnel is being viewed as a significant achievement in India’s infrastructure development and engineering capabilities.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah attended the ceremony. Senior administrative and police officials, engineers and workers associated with the project, as well as local residents, were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Ladakh Lok Sabha member Mohammad Hanifa Jan said, “A dream of the last 60–70 years is now on the verge of being fulfilled. On behalf of the people of Ladakh, I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Nitin Gadkari. Practical work on this tunnel began only after the BJP government came to power. Nitin Gadkari personally monitored the project, and much of the credit goes to his dynamic leadership.

“This tunnel is strategically crucial. During the 1999 war, both the government and the public realised the need for a tunnel at this location. It will boost the economic development of Ladakh and Kargil. This all-weather road will greatly benefit the elderly, students, and patients. We have full faith in Gadkari that the project will be completed at the earliest.”

Approximately 80% of the project has been completed

Yusuf Ishaghpour Rahimabadi, the authority engineer for the Zojila project on behalf of ICT AIAPL, said, “I am happy that approximately 80 per cent of the project has been completed. The remaining 20 per cent may take another two years to be fully completed. Nevertheless, this breakthrough, which marks the joining of the two ends of the tunnel, is a major milestone. We are pleased to have achieved this significant stage of the project successfully.”