Srinagar: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena hailed the breakthrough of the Zojila Tunnel as a historic milestone for the landlocked region and a transformative step toward year-round connectivity, faster mobility and stronger economic growth. The tunnel, a strategically important project on the Srinagar-Leh axis, is expected to end the long seasonal isolation caused by heavy snowfall and difficult terrain, linking Ladakh more reliably with the rest of India
Saxena termed the tunnel a “game changer” for the Union Territory, saying it would accelerate development, improve access to border areas and create a dependable all-weather link between Ladakh and the rest of the country. He described the tunnel as a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said it would play a vital role in strengthening infrastructure in one of India’s most challenging high-altitude regions.
Responding to remarks by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Saxena said the tunnel would not only improve strategic connectivity but also open new opportunities for tourism, trade and livelihoods. Better access is expected to support local communities, reduce travel disruptions during winter and strengthen the region’s long-term development prospects, he said.
In a related announcement, Gadkari unveiled a Rs 1,500-crore plan to upgrade the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri stretch into a four-lane highway with paved shoulders. He said the Detailed Project Report is expected to be finalised by July, after which construction work will begin. The road upgrade is designed to complement the tunnel project and further modernise the crucial route to Ladakh.
According to Gadkari, the proposed highway expansion could reduce travel time on the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri route from around two-and-a-half hours to nearly 45 minutes, significantly improving movement to Sonamarg and onward to Ladakh. Together, the Zoji La Tunnel and the highway upgrade are expected to reshape connectivity in the region, making travel safer, faster and more dependable while reinforcing the government’s broader push for all-weather access to the strategically important Ladakh sector.
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