Jammu and Kashmir: Final blast connects Zoji La Tunnel, bringing Kashmir and Ladakh closer

Breakthrough of the Zojila tunnel achieved near its east portal. PIC/PTI

The Zoji La Pass tunnel connecting the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh took a crucial step towards completion on Tuesday with a blast breaking through the last 2.5 metres of the high-altitude infrastructure project that cuts through the Himalayas.

With this, the two ends of the world's longest single-tube bi-directional bypass, which will cut travel time from 1.5 hours to 15 minutes, have now been connected, officials said.

The breakthrough has brought the decades-old dream of all-weather connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh closer to reality. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari pressed the remote button, blasting the breakthrough site near the East Portal of the tunnel at Minimarg in Ladakh Union Territory, they said.

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