New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the over nine Kms long Atal tunnel on Saturday, which connects Manali to the Lahaul- Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. The horse- shoe shaped tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in the world at an Altitude of over 10K feet, will be a major boost for all weather road connectivity in the region for the army as well as civilians.

 

 

 

 

 

This 9.02 Kms long engineering marvel will connect Manali to Lahaul- Spiti Valley throughout the year, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while visiting the tunnel to oversee the preparations ahead of its dedication to the nation. Built with ultra modern specifications in the Pir Panjal Mountain range of the Himalayas, the Atal tunnel reduces the road distance by 46 Kms between Manali and Leh and the time by about four to five hours. The tunnel will resolve the problem the Manali- Sarchu- Leh road remaining closed for six months every year due to Rohtang pass being completely snow bound between November and May.

The tunnel inauguration comes at a time when Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a five month long military confrontation in Eastern Ladakh. The tunnel will help in swifter road movement of troops and equipments to Ladakh. The Atul tunnel has been designed for a traffic density of 3K cars and 1, 500 trucks per day with a maximum speed of 80 Km/ hr, said an official. The decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang pass was taken way back in June 2000, when the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PM.