Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
Modi in J&K; PM kick starts work for strategic Zojila tunnel in Leh
PM's one-day visit to Leh, Kashmir and Jammu
Prime minister Narendra Modi today kickstarted work for Zojila tunnel, Asia's longest and strategic bi-directional tunnel, to provide all-weather connectivity between Jammu and Kasmir's Srinagar, Kargil, and Leh.
The prime minister who is on a one-day visit to all the three regions- Leh, Kashmir, and Jammu, also attended the closing ceremony for the birth centenary celebrations of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche (Buddhist spiritual guru) here.
Details of Zojila tunnel and the project
The tunnel will cut down the time taken to cross Zojila pass from the present three and a half hours to just fifteen minutes.
The pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway and remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall which cuts off Ladakh region from Kashmir.
The project inaugurated today in all three regions, worth 25,000 crores. As the part of the project, 14.15 km-long two-lane bi-directional single tube tunnel would be constructed.
