Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has completed an 810-metre viaduct at Ramsoo and a 3.5 km tunnel from Digdole to Panthyal in district Ramban, both located within the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Lok Sabha Constituency. The structures are scheduled to open to traffic on 3 July 2026, ahead of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026.

Context

Dr. Jitendra Singh shared the news on X, calling it 'Good News on the eve of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra,' and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for prioritising the project. The two structures — the viaduct and the tunnel — bypass the notoriously landslide-prone stretches of the Ramban-Banihal section of NH-44, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The minister described the infrastructure as ensuring 'safer and more reliable all-weather connectivity as well as ease of travel.'

Policy Backdrop

The Ramban-Banihal corridor has long been identified as one of the most vulnerable segments of the Jammu-Srinagar highway, prone to frequent closures due to rockfalls and landslides that strand thousands of commuters and pilgrims each year. Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, approved in 2015, the 44 km Udhampur-Ramban package was sanctioned for four-laning and tunnel construction specifically to address these hazards. Following the administrative reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, the central government accelerated funding and NHAI oversight for highway works on this corridor, consistent with its broader push to improve strategic and economic connectivity in the Union Territory.

The Jammu-Srinagar highway has seen a series of bypass structures commissioned over the years — including the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel and works near Panthal — as part of a Himalayan connectivity programme that serves pilgrimage, civilian, and strategic needs simultaneously. The Ramsoo viaduct and the Digdole-Panthyal tunnel represent the latest additions to this expanding network of engineered bypasses.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most immediate beneficiaries are the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who undertake the Shri Amarnath Yatra each summer to the cave shrine in the Kashmir Himalayas. Landslide-related highway closures on the Ramban-Banihal stretch have historically delayed or disrupted Yatra convoys, creating logistical and safety challenges for both pilgrims and security agencies. Residents of Ramban district and the broader J&K tourism sector also stand to gain from more reliable all-weather road access, which can reduce travel times and lower the risk of supply-chain disruptions during the monsoon season.

For the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda constituency, which Dr. Jitendra Singh represents in Parliament, the completion of these structures carries direct political and developmental significance, as improved connectivity is a longstanding demand of the region's electorate.

What's Next

With the Ramsoo viaduct and Digdole-Panthyal tunnel set to open on 3 July 2026, attention will turn to the remaining packages of the Ramban-Banihal four-laning project and their timelines. Authorities and pilgrimage organisers are likely to factor the new infrastructure into the Yatra 2026 logistics and convoy scheduling. Progress on adjacent highway packages and any parliamentary scrutiny of overall NH-44 completion targets will be closely watched in the months ahead.