Banihal Qazigund road tunnel, a key developmental project in Jammu and Kashmir, is all set for unveiling by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday during his visit on the occasion of 'Panchayati Raj Diwas'. The tunnel has been built at a cost of over ₹3100 crore and features state-of-the-art twin tubes, exhaust system and several other features to make it an ‘all-weather’ transportation route.
Here’s what we know about J&K's Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel
1. The Qazigund tunnel is 8.45 Kilometres long. It reduces the road distance between Banihal in Jammu province and Qazigund in south Kashmir by 16 km, and cuts journey time by around one and a half hours.
2. Built at 5800 feet above sea level, the tunnel will replace Jawahar Tunnel as an all-weather option for people travelling between Jammu and Srinagar.
3. It will bypass the Jawahar Tunnel and Shaitan Nalla, both of which turn a nightmare during heavy snowfall and are often closed due to extreme conditions during winters causing bottlenecks in the strategically important road linking Kashmir to the rest of the country.
4. The new tunnel's average elevation at 1.790 metres is 400 metres lower than the existing Jawahar Tunnel's elevation, making it less prone to avalanches.
5. Reportedly constructed with the Austrian tunnelling method, the tunnel has a state-of-the-art exhaust system to prevent gas formation inside with the help of 126 jet fans.
{{/usCountry}}5. Reportedly constructed with the Austrian tunnelling method, the tunnel has a state-of-the-art exhaust system to prevent gas formation inside with the help of 126 jet fans.
{{/usCountry}}6. There is also a corridor between the two tubes after every 500 metres which has been built for use in case of any emergency.
7. It will also have 234 CCTV cameras and a firefighting system installed in both tubes of the tunnel, media reports say.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of Ratle and Kwar Hydroelectric projects during his visit to Palli panchayat in Jammu and Kashmir to take part in celebrations of National Panchayati Raj Day.
(With inputs from ANI)