Zojila Tunnel: excavation complete on 9 June 2026
The Zojila Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir achieved its final breakthrough on 9 June 2026, completing excavation of the 13.153-km high-altitude passage between Baltal (Kashmir) and Meenamarg (Ladakh).
The Zojila Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir achieved its final breakthrough on 9 June 2026, completing excavation of the 13.153-km high-altitude passage between Baltal (Kashmir) and Meenamarg (Ladakh).
Once operational, the Zojila Tunnel is set to become the world's longest single-tube bi-directional road tunnel at high altitude, spanning 13.153 km through the Himalayan terrain of Jammu and Kashmir.
The ₹6,500 crore Zojila Tunnel project physically connects Baltal in Kashmir with Meenamarg in Ladakh, providing a strategic all-weather road corridor across the Zoji La pass in Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has championed the Zojila Tunnel as a strategic all-weather corridor for Ladakh, a region previously cut off by snow for several months each year along the Srinagar–Leh highway.