Just 3 days left for the inauguration Chenani-Nashri tunnel, Asia’s longest: All you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Chenani-Nashri tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on April 2. The tunnel, which is the longest in India, will cut back travel time for those travelling from Jammu to Srinagar and also ensure that the transport services do not halt during the winter season or because of natural disasters like landslides. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari addressed the media on March 22 and said the tunnel was “an engineering marvel on the most difficult terrain of the Himalayas”. It took four years for the project to complete and the tunnel will soon be made available for public use.


How will it help the commuters?

The 10.89 km long tunnel is estimated to cut down the travel distance from Jammu to Srinagar by 41 km and the travel time by two hours. The tunnel will be operational during winters ensuring easy connectivity for people throughout the year. It is also expected that the tunnel will help save around Rs 27 lakh worth fuel everyday.

What all facilities will be available?

The tunnel will have a fully-integrated control system providing facilities like radio frequency, communication, ventilation, power supply, SOS call box, fire fighting and incident detection. Few days ago, Nitin Gadkari told the media that the tunnel has world-class security facilities, including a parallel 9-km long escape tunnel.

How much money is spent on construction of the tunnel?

An estimated Rs 2,519 crore has been spent on the tunnel, which will connect Udhampur and Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir. The construction was scheduled to be completed by May 20, 2016 but got delayed by nine months due to various reasons.

What will be the toll?

For LMVs, the toll will be Rs 55 for one side and Rs 85 for a two-way journey. The commuter can also pay Rs 1,870 for one-month travel pass. For mini buses, the respective cost will be Rs 90 and Rs 135 and similarly for the bigger vehicles like buses and trucks, it will be Rs 190 and Rs 285.