The strategically important 8.5-km long double tube Banihal-Qazigund tunnel along the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is nearing completion.
According to reports in the Financial Express, this tunnel will be opened for public use by the end of March giving easy connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir.
Once this road is completed, it will not only be very easy for civilians to move more freely, it will also enable swift movement of troops.
This tunnel will connect Banihal in Jammu to Qazigund in South Kashmir would bypass the Jawahar tunnel and Shaitan Nalla, which receives heavy snowfall and due to slippery conditions during the winters driving is very dangerous.
Also, since this tunnel is 400 metres lower than the elevation of the Jawahar tunnel, it is less prone to avalanches and it cuts the distance between Jammu’s Banihal and South Kashmir’s Qazigund by 16 km from the present 35 km.
The new tunnel has state-of-the-art exhaust system and engineers are also working to install as many as 126 jet fans, 234 CCTVs and a firefighting system.
The work on this tunnel began in June 2011, at a cost of Rs 2,100 crore. Although this project should have been completed a long time ago, there were several delays and missed several deadlines due to unexpected land conditions, an alleged financial crisis in the construction firm, and issues related to local landlords and company staff.