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Zoji-la Tunnel

Coordinates: 34°16′44″N 75°28′19″E / 34.27889°N 75.47194°E / 34.27889; 75.47194
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the mountain pass in Ladakh, see Zoji La.

Zoji La Tunnel
Zoji La Tunnel is located in Ladakh
Zoji La Tunnel
Zoji La Tunnel
Zoji La Tunnel is located in Jammu and Kashmir
Zoji La Tunnel
Zoji La Tunnel
Zoji La Tunnel is located in India
Zoji La Tunnel
Zoji La Tunnel
Overview
LocationZoji La, Ladakh,
India India
Coordinates34°16′44″N 75°28′19″E / 34.27889°N 75.47194°E / 34.27889; 75.47194
StatusUnder Construction
RouteC2 NH 1
End2026
Operation
Work begun15 October 2020
ConstructedMEIL
OperatorNational Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL)
TrafficMotor vehicles
Technical
No. of lanesTwo (one in each direction)
Map

Zoji La Tunnel is an under-construction Himalayan tunnel in India under the Zoji La pass the between Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir and Dras in Kargil district of Ladakh. It is 9.5 m wide, 7.57 m high and 14.2 km long, horseshoe-shaped single-tube, 2 lane road tunnel at the height of around 12,000 feet above sea level. Together with the adjacent Z-Morh Tunnel, this geostrategically important tunnel on the NH1 Srinagar-Leh Highway will provide year around weather-proof connectivity to Ladakh and Baltal (Amarnath cave), reduce the earlier 1-1.5 hours travel time to just 15 minutes drive, boost the tourism and economy, and enhance the logistics of the Indian Armed Forces. It is one of the 31 road tunnels (20 in J&K and 11 in Ladakh) being constructed at a combined cost of INR1400 billion (~US$17.5 billion).[1][2][3] Upon completion it will become the longest tunnel in Asia.[4]

History

[edit]

In 2013, after Cabinet approved the Zoji-La and Z-Morh road tunnel projects,[5] bid were invited in 2017,[6][7] and IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd was awarded the contract with a period of 7 years to construct tunnel.[8][9]

In May 2018, [[[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]], Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone and construction work starts.[10][11]

In 2019, after the earlier contractor IL&FS went bankrupt, fresh bids were invited,[12][13] and new construction contract was awarded to the MEIL (Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd) in 2020.[14][15][16][17][18]

Benefits

[edit]
Road to Zoji La Pass from Srinagar.
  • Shorter travel time: Once the tunnel is completed, travel between Srinagar and Ladakh throughout the year will become possible.[1] The travel time currently between Sonamarg and Meenamarg is four hours, while it will drastically come down to just 40 minutes after this Asia’s longest bidirectional tunnel is completed.[19]
  • All-weather connectivity: The tunnel along with 6.5 km long Z-Morh Tunnel, (which is 18.457 km before Zoji La tunnel towards Srinagar)[20] will ensure year-round road connectivity between Srinagar and Kargil which currently remains closed for about seven months due to heavy snowfall on the Zoji La pass which is situated at an altitude of ~12,000 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway. Zoji La is 15 km from Sonamarg and provides a vital link with Drass and Kargil in Ladakh but remains closed for 6–7 months (from November to May) during winter due to heavy snow fall & snow avalanches.
  • Geostrategic importance for the national security: This tunnel was a strategic requirement of the army and the Ladakhi people as the pass is close to the Line of Control (LOC) and vulnerable to hostile actions. Zoji La was recaptured from Pakistani raiders under Operation Bison.[21] Defence forces have to face a hard time ensuring supplies to border posts during winters across Zoji La pass which is most strategic for the entire Kargil sector which has seen intrusion and war in the past. The tunnel will help keep the highway open for the entire year.[1]

Features

[edit]
  • Two-lane bi-directional single tube tunnels: The project entails 14.150 km-long two-lane bi-directional single tube tunnel with a parallel 14.2 km-long egress tunnel. The western portal is at Baltal at about 3,000 m elevation (about 400 m lower than the elevation of the existing highway there), about 15 km east of Sonmarg. The eastern portal after Zoji La is at Meenamarg towards the Dras/Kargil end. The length of the tunnel does not include the lengths of the approach roads to both ends of the tunnel from the existing highway.[1]
  • Smart and safer tunnel: Planned as a smart tunnel, it will have the latest safety features such as a fully transverse ventilation system, an uninterrupted power supply, emergency lighting, CCTV monitoring, variable message signs, traffic logging equipment and a tunnel radio system. The safety features will include emergency telephones and fire-fighting cabinets every 125 metres, pedestrian cross-passages every 250 metres and motorable cross-passages and lay-bys every 750 metres.[1]
  • Constructed in EPC mode: The tunnel will be built under EPC mode (engineering, procurement, construction) wherein the Government of India will provide the money and the executing agency will do the construction and will later hand over the project to the Government of India.[22]
  • Revised total cost: is ₹ 8,308 crore including the 5% annual inflation and 4 years maintenance and operation cost.[1]

Current status updates

[edit]

  • 2025 March: 70% work for Zoji-la Tunnel completed.[23][24] While Z-Morh Tunnel is already operational,[25] the revised planned completion date for Zoji-la Tunnel is September 2026,[26] but realistically early 2027 seems more likely.[27]

See also

[edit]
  • Tunnels in Northwest India

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Everything about Zoji La Tunnel, Telangana Today, 29 Oct 2021.
  2. ^ Zojila, Z-Morh tunnels: All you need to know about, Economic Times, 30 Sept 2021.
  3. ^ Strategic Zojila tunnel to see defence forces crossing into Ladakh 2 years ahead of deadline, The Hindu, 28 March 2022.
  4. ^ ENN (8 August 2024). "Zojila Tunnel: Asia's longest tunnel set for completion by Sept 2026, as 52% work complete". The Earth News Network. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Union Cabinet approved all-weather Zoji-la Tunnel Project". Jagranjosh.com. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  6. ^ Kondratieva, Ksenia (1 June 2017). "4 players in race for ₹10,000-cr Zojila tunnel". Thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Work on Zoji-la Tunnel to begin on August 15". Kashmirobserver.net. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  8. ^ "IL&FS bags Rs 4,899-crore Zojila tunnel project in rebidding". Ibtimes.co.in.
  9. ^ "Cabinet approves Zojila tunnel for Rs 6809 cr; construction in 5 yrs". Dailyexcelsior.com.
  10. ^ "Zoji La Tunnel for all-weather Kashmir-Ladakh road; PM Modi to lay foundation stone of big infra project". Financialexpress. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  11. ^ "PM Modi inaugurates Zojila project in Leh: All you need to know about India's longest tunnel". The Indian Express. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  12. ^ Shaikh, Ateeq (5 March 2019). "IL&FS-hit Zojila tunnel project goes for rebid". DNA India.
  13. ^ Sharma, Aman. "Fresh bids invited for Zojila Tunnel, Ladakh road" – via The Economic Times.
  14. ^ "Megha Engineering lowest bidder for Zojila tunnel, quotes Rs 4,509 cr for project" – via The Economic Times.
  15. ^ "Megha Engineering company to build Zojila Pass tunnel project". Deccan Herald. 21 August 2020.
  16. ^ Saluja, Nishtha. "Zojila Tunnel project awarded to Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering" – via The Economic Times.
  17. ^ "Gadkari to initiate first blasting of all-weather Zojila Tunnel between Srinagar and Leh". Hindustan Times. 15 October 2020.
  18. ^ "Excavation work of tunnel 1 of Zojila Tunnel project completed". Greater Kashmir. Press Trust of India. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Work on Zojila tunnel connecting Kashmir with Ladakh nears the halfway mark".
  20. ^ Ali, Muddasir (27 March 2014). "Work on 6.5 km Z-Morh tunnel to begin this year". Greater Kashmir News. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  21. ^ "Zojila battle of 1948 – when Indians surprised Pakistan with tanks at 11,553 ft,". The Print. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  22. ^ "Work on Zojila Pass Tunnel in J&K To Commence on 15 August, NHIDCL Says". Bloombergquint.com. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  23. ^ "Around 70% work of Asia's longest tunnel – Zojila Tunnel completed". Newsonair. 27 March 2025.
  24. ^ "J&K's Zojila Tunnel, Set To Be Asia's Longest, 70 Per Cent Complete". NDTV. 27 March 2025.
  25. ^ [1], Business Standard, 13 Jan 2025.
  26. ^ Dubey, Navneet. "50 pc progress, Zojila tunnel to be completed by Sep 2026". The News Now. 8 September 2024.
  27. ^ "With slight delay, Zojila tunnel in for early 2027 completion". Daily Excelsior. 16 January 2024.
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