Tunnel, an engineering marvel, says Gadkari

Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Monday hailed the inauguration of the Sonamarg tunnel as a “marvel of engineering” that will ensure seamless, year-round connectivity to the scenic tourist resort town.

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“Today is a historic day that the Sonamarg tunnel is being inaugurated by the Prime Minister. Due to the closure of this road, some areas remained closed for five to six months per year due to snow accumulation,” the Union Minister said.

The Minister also spoke about the nearby Zojila tunnel, an ambitious project designed to provide uninterrupted road access between Ladakh and the rest of the country. “Work on the Zojila tunnel is progressing well, and once completed, it will reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh by 3.5 hours,” Gadkari said. He also highlighted the project’s significant scale, the 14 km tunnel, with an 18 km approach road, is being constructed at a cost of Rs 6,800 crore, down from an earlier estimate of Rs 12,000 crore.

In addition to these tunnels, Gadkari provided an update on major infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir.