Around 70 per cent work of Asia’s longest tunnel – Zojila Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir has been completed. The project which will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Ladakh is being constructed at a cost of over five thousand 500 crore rupees. Zojila Tunnel Project consists of construction of a tunnel of more than 13 kilometers and approach roads to tunnel of length over 17 kilometer, totaling a total length of over 30 kilometer. This was stated by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari while replying to supplementaries during question hour in the Lok Sabha today.

He said, the road infrastructure projects worth two lakh crore are being implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that 105 tunnels are also being built in Jammu and Kashmir to further improve the connectivity. The Minister highlighted that between Jammu region and Kashmir region, the work related to 22 tunnels have been completed and another 14 tunnels are being constructed by the Border Road Organisation. Mr Gadkari informed that after completion of these tunnels will reduce the travel time from around nine hours to three and half hours. He also said, 25 thousand kilometer National Highways will converted into four lanes from two lanes in the next two years.