Zojila Tunnel: A breakthrough day indeed has arrived for India in terms of infrastructure construction. Today, India witnessed the groundbreaking completion of the Jojila Tunnel, which will serve as a lifeline
connecting Ladakh and Kashmir during the harsh winter months. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari; Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah; and J&K Lt. Governor, Manoj Sinha, attended the ceremony.
#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir: Visuals from Zojila Tunnel, which stands as the longest bi-directional road tunnel on the Asian continent, measuring 13.15 kilometres in length.The symbolic excavation of the final wall of rock at the Zojila tunnel, a project worth Rs 6,500 crore,… pic.twitter.com/ovpkxt3VzW
— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2026
After the historic completion, Jammu & Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha extended his gratitude on behalf of the state. "This is a historic day. Under the dynamic leadership of Union Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari, we have finally reached the milestone of providing all-weather connectivity to the residents of Ladakh," said Manoj Sinha.
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LG Manoj Sinha expresses gratitude for engineers for overcoming challenges
Jammu & Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha lauded the contribution of the workforce and engineers who have contributed to this massive engineering structure.
"I congratulate every single engineer and laborer who worked at such a high altitude under incredibly challenging circumstances," Sinha stated. "We all know that robust connectivity is the ultimate catalyst for socio-economic development. Over the last 12 years, unprecedented infrastructure work has been executed in this region."
This tunnel will be ranked no. 1 in world history: Nitin Gadkari
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari lauded the feat as a golden page in the chronicles of Indian engineering. He made sure to underscore the importance of the structure being an essential lifeline to the areas of Leh and Ladakh.
"Today is a golden day for Indian infrastructure. This 14-kilometer-long tunnel is entirely state-of-the-art," Gadkari announced. "I was just informed that while we initially recognized it as Asia's longest bidirectional tunnel, its unique engineering feats will place it at number one in world history. I am incredibly proud of this achievement."
Engineers & workers surmount chilling Subzero temperatures to make it possible
The Union Minister pointed out the sheer magnitude of the natural obstacles faced and overcome by the construction teams.
"The tunnel is situated at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters. Throughout the excavation phase, the teams routinely operated in freezing temperatures of -4 degrees Celsius and below," Gadkari explained. "Our engineers, laborers, contractors, and medical teams worked with immense resilience in this bone-chilling cold." He further noted that the tunnel is being integrated with world-class safety standards to ensure secure, uninterrupted transit.
Importance of the Jojila Tunnel
Now that the last link has been made, both sides of the mountain have been effectively joined. This will mark the beginning of the final stage of the project, which will involve the construction of roads inside the tunnel, the installation of sophisticated lighting systems, the setting up of CCTVs, and the use of advanced emergency systems.
The importance of the Jojila Tunnel is such that it will end the isolation of Ladakh during winter by making it permanently connected to the rest of India irrespective of snowfall.
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