Zojila Tunnel

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways reviewed the work on Zojila and Z Morh tunnels.

The Zojila tunnel will be Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel and will allow all-weather connectivity between Ladakh and Srinagar, which is disrupted during the winter months.
The Z-Morh tunnel — being developed at Sonmarg — will provide all-weather connectivity with Srinagar allowing it to remain open to tourists all year round. It is likely to be ready by the end of 2023.
- The 18-kilometer approach road runs from the end of the Z-morh tunnel to the beginning of the Zojila tunnel.

Zoji La

The Zoji La is a high mountain pass in Ladakh’s Kargil area.
The pass connects Leh and Srinagar and serves as a vital link between Ladakh and Kashmir.
Due to excessive snowfall, the Zojila pass stays blocked during the winter, cutting off Ladakh from Kashmir.
The Zojila tunnel project was launched in 2018. The tunnel will enable all-weather communication between Srinagar, Kargil, and Leh and is Asia’s longest and most strategically located bi-directional tunnel.

The project is strategically important since Zojila Pass, located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway at an elevation of 11,578 feet, is closed throughout the winter due to severe snowfall.
It is currently one of the most dangerous segments of road in the world, and this project is also geo-strategically significant.
It will give all-weather connectivity to Srinagar, Dras, Kargil, and Leh, which are cut off from the rest of the country for six months during the winter due to heavy snowfall.
The Srinagar-Kargil-Leh section of NH-1 will be free of avalanches.
It will cut the travel time in half, from over 3 hours to 15 minutes.
Local residents will be employed throughout the construction of the tunnel.
From a defence standpoint, the tunnel is quite important. Many military operations are currently taking place along the boundaries of these regions.

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