Thaindian News

Dhundi (Himachal Pradesh), June 27(ANI): Congress President Sonia Gandhi will lay the foundation stone for the Rohtang tunnel project in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, on Monday.

The Rs. 1493 crore tunnel has been designed to provide easy access between Himachal Pradesh’s Keylong and Jammu and Kashmir’s Leh district.

When completed in 2015, the 8.8 kilometre-long is also set to become the world longest tunnel at an altitude between 3053 and 3080 metres.

The tunnel with a horseshow shaped cross-section, will be11.25 metres wide at road level.

It will provide room for two-way traffic and is designed to cater to maximum vehicular speed of 80 kilometres per hour.

“We are trying to make Manali-Leh road all weather so it’s definitely a first step for us. And it is going to open up our tribal areas…people who are on the other side and get disconnected from the country during winters,” said Lieutenant colonel Vinod Shukla, Officer Commanding 759, Border Road Integrated Task Force of Border Road Organization.

“So, it is going to help all of us not only as strategic point, but also in tourism point and is going to help the local peoples. It is going to connect our country better. It is going to help us in technology matter,” he added.

The tunnel is divided into three parts ventilations, highway and egress tunnel, while CCTV cameras will be installed for security purposes.

STRABAG-AFCONS, a joint venture of India’s Afcons Infrastructure Limited and Strabag SE of Austria, had undertaken the tender when the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the Rohtang Tunnel Project in September 2009.

The Rohtang tunnel was first conceived in 1983 to develop the Manali-Sarchu-Leh road to an all weather alternate route for strategic considerations, and preliminary study.

The project was flagged off in consultation with the Geological Survey of India and Manali based Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE). (ANI)