The strategic Zojila tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir, aimed at providing all-weather access between Srinagar and Leh, will now be completed by February 2028, said the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, who informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
While responding to a query raised by Ganderbal MP Mian Altaf Ahmad, Gadkari said the initial deadline for the project was set for September 2026.
The minister informed the Lok Sabha that due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a terrorist attack on the nearby Sonamarg Tunnel Project, and extreme weather conditions, the deadline has been pushed back by almost two years.
The tunnel, which is being constructed by the National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), has achieved 64 per cent physical progress as of now.
The minister added that the cost at which the project is being realised stands at “Rs 6,809 crore, out of which Rs 3,934.42 crore has been spent so far.”
Furthermore, a total of 1,141 workers are currently employed in the project. Of these, 77 per cent are from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and 28 per cent of the workforce is specifically from Ganderbal district, where the project is located.
The strategic tunnel, once completed, will not only connect two regions but will also help in transportation and the mobilisation of the Indian armed forces to eastern Ladakh during military confrontations with China.
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