Key Maroge tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar national highway thrown open
A 645-meter segment of a two-lane tunnel and viaduct along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway has been opened to the public. The new stretch will reduce travel distance by 200 meters and bypass a landslide-prone area. The project, part of a larger plan to improve the highway, aims to enhance the region’s economic growth and attract more tourists. Construction of the highway, which includes tunnels, bridges, and flyovers, is expected to be completed next year. Several other tunnels and the Ramban flyover have already been completed.
Authorities on Saturday dedicated to the public a 645-metre segment comprising the two-lane Maroge tunnel and a viaduct along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and bypassing a major landslide-prone area in Ramban district. The new stretch will shorten the travel distance by 200 metres and help commuters bypass the Sita Ram Passi landslide-prone area, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said while announcing the completion of the segment on his social media handle.
“This transformative development not only contributes to the region’s economic growth but also enhances its appeal as a premier tourist destination,” the minister said on X, sharing four pictures of the newly constructed viaduct and the tunnel.
“In Jammu & Kashmir, we have successfully completed the construction of a 250-metre viaduct (2-lane) in conjunction with a 395-metre (2-lane) Maroge tunnel, at an estimated cost of Rs 82 crore,” Gadkari said in his post.
“Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, we steadfastly uphold our commitment to delivering exceptional highway infrastructure to Jammu & Kashmir,” Gadkari said in his post.
The work on the four-laning project of the 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was started by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in 2011. Construction of the highway, which would include several small and large tunnels, bridges and flyovers, is likely to be completed by next year, after missing several deadlines over the past decade.
The most critical stretch of 66 km of the highway passes through the Ramban district from the Nashri tunnel to the Banihal tunnel. Work is in progress on several other tunnels, bridges and viaducts on this stretch, which on completion will bypass other critical spots and ensure comfortable travel.
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