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Key tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar highway thrown open
The tunnel between Panthyal and Magerkote has come up at a cost of about Rs.100 cr in about four years
In a big relief to the daily commuters, passengers and tourists on Jammu-Srinagar national highway, an 870 metres long key tunnel (T-5) was thrown open for traffic at Panthyal in Ramsu area of Ramban district on Thursday afternoon.
With this, there is expected to be no traffic disruptions at Panthyal. The stretch has been by-passed by T5 tunnel.
“No VIP was invited for this long awaited and cherished occasion and the tunnel was opened following directions by the chief secretary AK Mehta to the Ramban deputy magistrate Mussarat Islam,” said an official.
The tunnel between Panthyal and Magerkote has come up at a cost of about Rs.100 cr in about four years.
Though the new tunnel will only save 1.1 km travel but it will protect the precious human lives, frequent blockages on the national highway (NH44) and make the journey smooth and quick.
Now, trucks carrying essential commodities to Kashmir from Jammu and fruit laden trucks from Kashmir will no longer remain stuck on highway for days together and see their perishable items spoiled.
Panthyal stretch in Ramban district was considered a death trap by drivers and other commuters because of the shooting stones that would assume dangerous proportions during monsoons.
Zojila Pass, connecting Valley to Srinagar, thrown open
The strategic Zojila Pass that connects Kashmir Valley to Ladakh through Srinagar-Leh highway was thrown open by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) on Thursday in a record time. The administration will now decide when the road can be opened to the public.
The 434-km road, which was closed on January 06 for winter, was opened after just 68 days as against last year’s 73 days or over five months during previous years.
“We were able to open the Pass in a record number of 68 days. For the past three years, we have been breaking our own records,” Director General Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Lt General Rajeev Chaudhary.
In 2021, the road was thrown open in 110 days, then in 73 days in 2022 and now in just 68 days this year.
Zojila Pass is located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road (NH-1) at a height of 11,650 feet and provides a vital strategic link between Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region. This pass used to normally close by October/ November every year and re-open only by April/ May in the past with the total closure time averaging to almost five to six months.
Srinagar based PRO Defence, Lt Col Emron Musavi said that with the renewed focus on infrastructure development and augmentation of connectivity to the Northern Borders in the recent years, there has been a strategic requirement of minimizing the closure of Zojila Pass during winters. Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhary said, “The trial movement of vehicles has been conducted successfully today and the decision to open the road for civil traffic will be taken by the Civil Administration after the conduct of joint inspection.”
