Overview
- Engineers completed the final controlled blast inside the 13.14 km single‑tube, bi‑directional Zojila Tunnel on Monday, achieving structural breakthrough and linking the bore driven from Kashmir with the one from Ladakh.
- Work now shifts to benching, waterproofing, fit‑out of electronic and safety systems and construction of approach roads across the roughly 31 km corridor before public use is allowed.
- Officials say the tunnel could be opened earlier for security or emergency needs once specific safety checks are met, but full civilian operations are projected around February 2028.
- Construction pushed through extreme conditions—temperatures near −30°C, multiple avalanches that caused two worker deaths and large rescues, and frequent changes in rock class—which required protective catch dams, deflector walls and specialised equipment.
- When finished, the tunnel will end seasonal isolation of Ladakh, cut a travel time that can now take up to three hours to about 15 minutes, speed movement of goods and patients, and substantially improve military logistics in the border region.