J-K: Construction of 8.5 Km Qazigund-Banihal completed, open for trial

The construction work of the 8.5 km all-weather tunnel connecting Qazikund and Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir has been completed and it is open for trial, said Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday.

Confirming the completion of construction work, Gadkari in a tweet said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, another milestone in infrastructure development of Jammu and Kashmir is fulfilled. The 8.5 km tunnel between Quazigund and Banihal has been completed and open to traffic for trial."

Terming it as "Pragati Ka Highway", the minister said, "Built at 5800 feet above sea level, the tunnel will replace Jawahar tunnel and will provide all weather connectivity. It will reduce travel time between Jammu-Srinagar by about 1.5 hours and 16 km."

The tunnel will facilitate connectivity between Kashmir and Jammu and solve the problem of road closures due to snowfalls and landslides in winters.

The tunnel, which was made on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT), passes through the most difficult terrain on the national highways. It is attached with an exhaust system to remove gas and bring in fresh air; has 124 jet fans, 234 CCTV modern cameras, and a firefighting system installed.

( With inputs from ANI )