After Rohtang, more high-altitude tunnels to come up on Manali-Leh highway
The proposed tunnels will cut through mountain passes in the Himalayan and Zanskar mountain ranges to facilitate year-round movement of vehicles.
After Rohtang, more high-altitude tunnels to come up on Manali-Leh highway
Once the strategic Atal Tunnel under the Rohtang Pass is inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, the defence ministry will expedite work on building more high-altitude tunnels, including three on the Manali-Leh highway, to facilitate troop movement to the China border. “Atal Tunnel at Rohtang will not only open new vistas of development in landlocked Lahaul-Spiti district but will also ensure better connectivity to the border areas. The Government of India is contemplating building three more tunnels on the Manali-Leh highway to have all-weather connectivity to the border areas of Ladakh,” Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Thursday. Fifteen years ago, the defence ministry proposed tunnels under the Shinku La (Pass), Zoji La, Baralacha La, Tanglang La and Lachung La. The tunnels on the Manali-Leh highway are the 13.2-km stretch under the 16,040-foot Baralacha Pass; the 14.78-km tunnel under Lachung Pass; and the 7.32-km tunnel under the Tanglang Pass …
