Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the the Atal Tunnel in September 2020.
Salient Features
The Atal Tunnel is at Rohtang, near Manali. The construction teams faced fast flowing water from Seri Nullah, which flowed on top of the tunnel route and impeded construction efforts.
The 9-km-long tunnel under the Pir Panjal range is named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
It will be the world’s longest highway tunnel above the altitude of 10,000 feet (3000 metres).
It was originally designed to be 8.8 km long but GPS readings taken on completion show it to be 9 km long.
A feasibility study of the project Rohtang Tunnel was carried out in May 1990 following which the geological report was submitted in June 2004.
Importance
Cutting through the Pir Panjal range, the tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km.
The Rohtang Pass, to which the tunnel provides an alternate, is located at a height of 13,050 feet, and a journey from Manali Valley to Lahaul and Spiti Valley, which normally takes around five hours to negotiate, would now be completed in little over ten minutes.
Source: Indian Express
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