: Tuesday, June 09, 2026 12:07 PM
Ladakh. The 13.14 km long Zojila Tunnel, built at an altitude of 11,578 feet in the Union Territory of Ladakh, is now nearing its final stage (breakthrough). This will be an important milestone in the history of the country’s infrastructure. Zojila Tunnel is the longest two-way tunnel in the world. Upon its completion, there will be all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh, which will improve transport links and further strengthen the strategic importance of this region. Speaking to on Tuesday, Zojila Tunnel engineer Youssef Eshagpour said, “This Zojila Tunnel is special and a matter of pride for the country. It is not only the longest bi-directional tunnel here, but it is also the first tunnel of its kind in the whole of Asia. We faced many challenges here and today we are going to achieve a big success. Now only three meters of excavation is left, after which formal blasting will be done.”
Zojila Tunnel Engineer Youssef Eshagpour said, “I think that after the opening of the tunnel, a huge task related to safety and other aspects has been completed. We have completed more than 11.25 million man-hours (work hours) here without any incident and the work in the tunnel has been done very safely and with good quality. The tunnel is actually designed to last for 100 years and now after this breakthrough. After that, works like ventilation, drainage system and road construction generally take two and a half to three years.”
Engineer Habibullah Rather said, “It was a very challenging project, especially in this area, because the weather here is very harsh. Working in minus 40 degree temperature is a big challenge. As far as its completion is concerned, the time fixed as per the contract agreement was September 2026. However, there has been a delay due to many problems and challenges. Now we have got more time till July 2028.”
This project is being built in the Zojila Pass area between Baltal near Sonamarg Hill Station in Jammu and Kashmir and Meenamarg in Dras district of Ladakh. It aims to provide all-weather connectivity on one of India’s most difficult Himalayan routes, which remains cut off for long periods every year due to heavy snowfall, avalanches and inclement weather. This project started on October 1, 2020.
—
Read this also – Click to read the news of your state/city before the newspaper.
Web Title-After numerous difficulties, the Zojila Tunnel is in its final stages of construction; Engineers say its a matter of pride for the country.