Key Takeaways
- The Jawahar Tunnel is undergoing renovation with modern upgrades to enhance security, safety, and mobility infrastructure.
- The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is responsible for the renovation project, which aims to transform the decades-old tunnel into a modern and efficient passage.
- The tunnel will be equipped with advanced technologies like ventilation jet fans, improved lighting systems, and sophisticated monitoring gadgets.
Srinagar: Equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, the renovation of the iconic 2.5-km-long Jawahar Tunnel, which was for decades the only gateway to the Valley, is nearing completion.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is transforming the decades-old Jawahar Tunnel into a modern and efficient passage by upgrading its infrastructure. The tunnel, a strategic gateway on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, will be equipped with advanced technologies to enhance security, safety, and mobility.
Originally constructed by a German engineering firm in 1954, the Jawahar Tunnel, named after India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, served as the sole route connecting Kashmir with the rest of India until 2022. However, its strategic importance diminished after the inauguration of the 8.45-km-long Qazigund-Banihal Navyug Tunnel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2022.
The Jawahar Tunnel, however, remains critical for specific vehicle movements, as the new tunnel restrict the passage of fuel-laden tankers, trucks carrying LPG, and other vehicles transporting hazardous materials.
Commander of 760 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF), Amiya Shrivastava said renovation work was felt necessary after 2010 as there was widespread seepage issues on both of the tunnel tubes which defaced the road surface .
A DPR (Detailed Project Report) was prepared by the Border Roads to tackle the issues and make it a state of art tunnel, he said.
” The upgradation of the tunnel was done to enhance security , safety , surveillance and upgrading mobility infrastructure within the tunnel. We focused on improving the riding surface by laying concrete in both tubes and incorporating advanced technologies like ventilation jet fans, an improved lighting system, and sophisticated monitoring gadgets,” he said.
The renovation, initiated in July 2023, was completed within a record 18 months at a cost of Rs 62.50 crore. The BRO looks after the construction and maintenance of the Jawahar tunnel.
Both the renovated tubes of the tunnel- named as Eastern and Western – will be opened for the traffic.
Government officials said the historic tunnel situated at an altitude of 2,200 meters near Banihal pass in the Pir Panjal range can also attract tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir
