Asia’s longest tunnel project at Zojila set to achieve breakthrough on Tuesday

On June 9, 2026, the Zojila Tunnel project achieved its breakthrough — the completion of full excavation through 13.15 km of rock, a critical engineering mil...

What Happened

On June 9, 2026, the Zojila Tunnel project achieved its breakthrough — the completion of full excavation through 13.15 km of rock, a critical engineering milestone.
The tunnel, valued at Rs 6,500 crore, is being constructed by Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL), a Hyderabad-based company, using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).
Situated at approximately 11,578 feet above sea level, roughly 24 km from Sonamarg and 103 km from Srinagar, the tunnel is described as Asia's longest road tunnel upon completion.
Construction began in October 2020; the project is approximately 85% complete and is expected to open to traffic by February 2028.
Over 1,200 workers have been employed, with approximately 80% sourced locally from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
The breakthrough was achieved six months ahead of the projected schedule.

Static Topic Bridges

Zojila Pass: Geographic and Strategic Significance

Zojila is a high-altitude mountain pass in the Western Himalayas, situated on the Srinagar–Kargil–Leh National Highway (NH 1). At an elevation of approximately 3,580 metres (with the pass area reaching close to 11,575 feet), it is the only terrestrial link between the Kashmir Valley and the Ladakh cold desert region. The pass remains closed for approximately six to seven months annually due to heavy snowfall and avalanche risk, effectively cutting Ladakh off from the rest of the country by road.

Zojila is the second-highest motorable pass on the Srinagar–Leh Highway after Fotu La.
During the 1947-48 India-Pakistan war, the pass was captured by Pakistani forces; its recapture by Indian forces involved one of the highest-altitude tank assaults in military history.
During the 1999 Kargil War, Zojila served as the principal supply and reinforcement route for Indian forces, making control of the pass operationally decisive.
Proximity to the Line of Control (LoC) makes the pass a persistent vulnerability in India's northern logistical chain.

Connection to this news: The tunnel bypasses the Zojila Pass entirely, eliminating the seasonal road closure that disrupts civilian life, military logistics, and economic activity in Ladakh for half the year.

Infrastructure and Internal Security: Strategic Importance of Border Roads

Article 355 of the Constitution obliges the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance. Infrastructure development in border areas is both a constitutional duty and a strategic imperative. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), established in 1960, is the primary agency for building and maintaining roads in difficult terrain along India's northern and northeastern borders.

BRO operates under the Ministry of Defence and has built over 60,000 km of roads in strategically sensitive areas.
The Atal Tunnel (Rohtang), opened in 2020, provides all-weather connectivity to Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh — a comparable precedent to Zojila.
India's Project Beacon manages roads in J&K and Ladakh, a sub-formation under BRO.
The Zojila tunnel, unlike BRO projects, is being built by a private contractor under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL).

Connection to this news: Uninterrupted road connectivity through Zojila reduces India's reliance on the Indian Air Force for airlifting supplies to Ladakh during winter months, significantly lowering logistics costs and response time in case of border contingencies.

New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) in Himalayan Geology

The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) is a tunnelling technique that treats the surrounding rock mass as a structural element rather than merely an obstacle. It uses shotcrete (sprayed concrete), rock bolts, and continuous monitoring to build flexible, load-distributing tunnel linings, making it highly suitable for variable and complex geological conditions such as those found in the Himalayas.

NATM allows real-time adjustment of support structures based on observed ground behaviour — critical in Himalayan geology where rock strata can shift unpredictably.
The Himalayas are geologically young and seismically active, featuring friable rock, fault zones, and high groundwater — conditions that make conventional drill-and-blast tunnelling particularly risky.
NATM has been used in multiple Indian projects: Mumbai Metro Line 3, Atal Tunnel, and several Himalayan railway tunnels.
The alternative — Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) — are less adaptable to rapidly changing rock conditions common in the Himalayas.

Connection to this news: The Zojila tunnel's use of NATM in one of the world's most geologically challenging terrains demonstrates India's growing indigenous capability in advanced tunnelling infrastructure.

Union Territory of Ladakh: Administrative and Strategic Context

Ladakh was bifurcated from the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir and reorganised as a Union Territory (without a legislature) on October 31, 2019, under the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. It shares international borders with China (Line of Actual Control) and Pakistan (Line of Control), making its connectivity infrastructure a direct defence concern.

Ladakh covers 59,146 sq km — the largest district-equivalent administrative unit in India by area.
It has two districts: Leh and Kargil.
Ladakh's terrain, climate, and strategic borders make it heavily dependent on road connectivity for both civilian supply chains and military logistics.
The Galwan Valley standoff (June 2020) underscored how rapidly India needed to upgrade its border infrastructure and logistics capacity in Ladakh.

Connection to this news: The tunnel breakthrough directly addresses the logistical vulnerability exposed during the 2020 Galwan standoff — ensuring year-round connectivity for troops, equipment, and civilian supplies across the Zojila axis.

Key Facts & Data

Tunnel length: 13.15 km (Asia's longest road tunnel on completion).
Project cost: Rs 6,500 crore.
Builder: Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL), Hyderabad.
Construction method: New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).
Altitude: Approximately 11,578 feet above sea level.
Location: 24 km from Sonamarg, 103 km from Srinagar.
Construction began: October 2020; breakthrough: June 9, 2026.
Expected completion and opening: February 2028.
Workforce: 1,200+ workers, ~80% locally sourced.
Zojila Pass closure: Approximately 6–7 months per year due to snowfall.
Comparable project: Atal Tunnel (Rohtang), opened 2020, providing all-weather access to Lahaul-Spiti.