Zojila Tunnel Project: More Than Half Work Completed on All-Weather Road Between Kashmir & Ladakh, Completion Expected by 2026

More than half of the work on the Zojila road project — set to be Asia’s longest tunnel that will offer all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh — has been completed as of date while the entire stretch is expected to be ready by September 2026, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.

In a reply in the Lower House, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, also said the project consists of construction of a tunnel of 13.153 kilometres and approach roads to the tunnel of length 17.030 km — making up a total length of 30.18 km.

“The total Project cost (TPC) is Rs 6,809.69 crore. The physical progress of the project as on date is 52.13 per cent,” Gadkari said, adding the scheduled completion date of the project is September 29, 2026.

Mian Altaf Ahmad, Lok Sabha MP from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir, had asked the minister about the details, current status and the total cost of the project. He also asked whether locals were getting employment under the project, to which Gadkari said 1,043 locals have been employed by the supervising consultant, contractor and sub-contractor.

The tunnel coming up in Zojila is a 7.57-m 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 Tunneling 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 more than Rs 5,000 crore,” the ministry had said earlier.

Under the project, the main Zojila tunnel of 13,153 meters with four culverts of total length of 810 meters, four Nilgrar tunnels of total length of 4,821 meters, eight cut and covers of total length of 2,350 meters and three 500 meters, 391 meters and 220 meters of vertical ventilation shaft were proposed.

With the construction of this tunnel, there will be all-weather connectivity for Ladakh. Currently the average travel time to cross the Zojila Pass is three hours. After the completion of this tunnel, the travel time will come down to 20 minutes, resulting in fuel savings.

The terrain near Zojila Pass is extremely inhospitable, with many fatal accidents taking place every year, the ministry had said.

“After the completion of Zojila Tunnel, the chances of accidents will be zero. This tunnel will provide year-round connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh, which will be extremely important for the development of Ladakh, promotion of tourism, free movement of local goods and movement of Indian armed forces in case of emergency,” it added.