Context

Officials are confident about the opening of the Zojila tunnel for defence forces by 2024 and emergency services, two years ahead of the 2026 deadline.

About

About Zojila Tunnel:

• The Zojila tunnel will be India’s longest road tunneland Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel. 
• The first part involves the development and expansion of the 475-km highway between Z-Morh to Zojila. 
• A 3-km stretch will be expanded; the rest will be newly developed.
• The highway will have 2 twin-tube tunnels, 5 bridges, and 2 snow galleries.
• To be built at a cost of Rs 2,600 crore, the horseshoe-shaped Zojila tunnel will be India’s longest street burrow and the highest tunnel at 3,485 metre. 
• The need for the Zojila tunnel was first felt during the 1999 Kargil war and the recent incursions by China made it an urgent necessity.
• The tunnel will provide logistics flexibility and operational mobility to the Indian Army as it will reduce the travel time on Zojila Pass from 3.5 hours to 15 minutes