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BRO celebrates major milestone on Akhnoor-Poonch highway
“The construction of the infrastructure project, part of national highway 144A connecting Akhnoor and Poonch, reached a significant milestone as the breakthrough ceremony for the Nowshera Tunnel took place”, said defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) said on Sunday that they have achieved a significant breakthrough of a key road tunnel in Nowshera that would ensure quick induction of troops and machinery during contingency.
“The construction of the infrastructure project, part of national highway 144A connecting Akhnoor and Poonch, reached a significant milestone as the breakthrough ceremony for the Nowshera Tunnel took place”, said defence spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal.
The 700-metre tunnel is a crucial link connecting Akhnoor and Poonch, he added
Akhnoor-Poonch road, also known as the “Golden Arc Road” is an old and strategic 200 km stretch which connects south Kashmir with Jammu region. It connects important border districts of Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch.
There are four major tunnels in this stretch, Kandi, Sungal, Nowshera and Bhimber Gali tunnels.
Border Roads director general Lieutenant General Raghu Srinivasan attended the ceremony.
He underscored the importance of this project, signifying a major step forward in enhancing regional connectivity and facilitating smoother transportation along the national highway.
On November 25 last year, breakthrough of Kandi tunnel was achieved. The progress of national highway has taken pace and the project is expected to be completed by 2026, ahead of its deadline.
During his address, Srinivasan said that BRO was spearheading crucial road projects to connect remote areas with major centres in the Jammu-Poonch region.
The Jammu-Poonch link, advancing rapidly, is on track for completion in the next few years, he added.
On being asked about defence infrastructure along Line of Control (LoC), he said that development of infrastructure is a continuous process and BRO was committed to building and upgrading strategic roads along the International Border, LoC and Line of Actual Control.
