MoRTH pumps in Rs 1.3 trn for highways, tunnels in J&K and Ladakh

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said that Kashmir to Kanyakumari will no longer be a dream for the people of India. He said this while referring to the massive development of the road network in Jammu and Kashmir and also in other parts of the country.

As far as the roads and highways construction projects in Jammu and Kashmir are concerned, development work worth Rs 1,30,000 crore has been taken up by MoRTH in J&K and since 2014, around 500 km of road network has been completed in the region.

A total of 41 significant tunnels are being constructed in J&K and Ladakh at a cost of Rs 45,000 crore, while 18 ropeways costing Rs 5,000 crore will be constructed in the UT.

The Minister recently visited J & K and reviewed the progress of various significant projects. He also announced that a 110km-long Amarnath Marg - leading to the holy Amarnath cave in Pahalgam will be built at a cost of around Rs 5,300 crore for the convenience of the pilgrims going to Shri Amarnath Shrine.

The Minister inspected the Srinagar-Banihal section of Jammu to Udhampur-Ramban-Banihal to Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) being constructed to provide all-weather connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar.

To ease travel between Jammu and Srinagar, three corridors are being built at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore. Under this, the first corridor from Jammu to Udhampur-Ramban-Banihal and further to Srinagar includes the section from Srinagar to Banihal.

This four-lane road of 250 km length is being built at a cost of Rs 16,000 crore. Out of this, four-laning of 210 km route has been completed, including 10 tunnels of 21.5 km.

With the construction of this route, there will be all-weather connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. Travel time from Srinagar to Jammu will be reduced from 9-10 hours to 4-5 hours. A carriage-way of 40 km four-lane road between Ramban and Banihal will be completed by June 2024 which will provide relief to the commuters of Srinagar.

Gadkari also inspected the Zojila Tunnel, Asia's longest tunnel, to establish all weather connectivity for Ladakh and an important project implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.

The construction of a 13.14 km long tunnel and approach road at a cost of Rs 6800 crore is in progress in Zojila. It is a 7.57m-high horseshoe-shaped single-tube, two-lane tunnel, which will pass under the Zojila Pass in the Himalayas between Ganderbal in Kashmir and Drass town in Kargil district of Ladakh.

The project includes a Smart Tunnel (SCADA) system, which has been constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method. It is equipped with facilities like CCTV, radio control, uninterrupted power supply, and ventilation. The use of modern technology in this project has saved the Government of India more than Rs 5,000 crore.

Under the Zojila Tunnel project,the main Zojila tunnel of 13,153 meters with 4 culverts of total length of 810 meters, four Nilgrar tunnels of total length of 4,821 meters, 8 cut and covers of total length of 2,350 meters and three 500 meters, 391 meters and 220 meters of vertical ventilation shaft are proposed. So far 28% work of the Zojila Tunnel has been completed.

With the construction of this tunnel, there will be all-weather connectivity for Ladakh. Currently the average travel time to cross the Zojila Pass sometimes takes three hours, after the completion of this tunnel the travel time will come down to 20 minutes.

Apart from this, Gadkari also reviewed the progress of the geo-strategically important Z-Morh Tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh Highway (NH-1).

Construction work of the 6.5 km length Z-morh tunnel and approach road is in progress at a cost of Rs 2,680 crore. This 2-lane road tunnel is being built under the Thajiwas Glacier between Gagangir and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of Kashmir.

Under the Z-Morh tunnel project, a main tunnel of total length of 10.8 meters with a modified horse shoe shape escape tunnel of total length of 7.5 meters, D-shaped ventilation tunnel of total length of 8.3 meters, two major culverts of total length of 110 meters and 270 meters, one small culvert of total length of 30 meters is proposed. Till date, 75 per cent work of the Z-Morh Tunnel has been completed. A target has been set to dedicate this tunnel to the nation by December 2023.

--IANS

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