MoU signed for 14.15 km 2-lane Zojila Tunnel in J&K

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : An MoU was signed on January 24, 2018, between National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) Transportation Networks Ltd for construction of the 14.15 km long,  2-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir.

This would be India’s longest road tunnel and the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh and will bring about all round economic and socio-cultural integration of these regions. The project has strategic and socio-economic importance and will be an instrument for the development of the economically backward districts in Jammu & Kashmir.

The total capital cost of the project is Rs 6,808.69 crore. It includes the cost towards land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities as well as maintenance and operation cost of the tunnel for four years. The civil construction cost of the project is Rs 4,899.42 crore. The construction period of the project is seven years which shall be reckoned from the date of commencement of construction, according to a PIB release.

The tunnel will be an engineering marvel, a first of its kind in such geographical area. It will have all modern technical safety arrangements such as cut and cross ventilation system, two axial fans, fully transverse ventilation system, uninterrupted power supply, CCTV monitoring, variable messaging boards, traffic logging equipment, tunnel radio, emergency telephone system etc.