After Rohtang, focus shifts to Shinku La tunnel between Ladakh and Lahaul

The BRO is also studying the feasibility of constructing a tunnel beneath the 13.5-km-long snow avalanche-prone Shinku La like the Rohtang tunnel to avoid the majestic pass

Amid the heightened border tension with both China and Pakistan in the Himalayas, road infrastructure projects have been given a push with completion of a marvel of engineering motorways -- the Rohtang Pass highway tunnel.

Officials say the focus now is on constructing the strategic 13.5-km-long Shinku La tunnel, the shortest, safer and the third alternative corridor for the armed forces for forward areas of Union Territory of Ladakh.

Experts told IANS the 9.2 km-long horseshoe-shaped single-tube, two-lane tunnel -- the world's longest motorable tunnel at over 3,000 metre above the sea level -- is a key step in the Defence Ministry's