PM to open Chenani-Nashri tunnel on July 16

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 27

The much-awaited Chenani-Nashari tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway will be thrown open for traffic on July 16, according to sources in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the 9.2-km tunnel which will reduce the distance by 31 km between Jammu and Srinagar. The tunnel will bypass major tourist resorts and towns, like Kud, Patnitop and Batote.

The Chenani area located on the tunnel’s south end will be connected to the Nashri area on its north end. The construction work for India’s longest tunnel was started in May 23, 2011, and the deadline for the completion of the project was May 20, 2016, which was extended up to June 30.

The electrification work for lights, exhausts etc inside the tunnel and approach road to it will be completed by the end of June. All other safety measures will be put in place up by mid-July.

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is lifeline for the Kashmir valley, Ladakh and several districts of Jammu region. More than 15,000 vehicles daily ply on it. At the time of rain or snow, traffic gets blocked. After the construction of this tunnel, besides reduction in the distance, the traffic will remain open throughout the year.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has spent Rs 3,720 crore on this project which has two tubes — the main tunnel and escape tunnel. These two are internally connected through 29 cross-passages with each located 300 metres apart. This state-of-the-art tunnel will also have parking spots in case a vehicle breaks down.