In pics: Chenani-Nashri, India's longest tunnel, launched by Modi on Sunday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated Asia's longest bi-directional road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to the nation. The Chenani-Nashri tunnel will cut down travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by two hours.
Modi was accompanied by Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Minister of State for PMO and MP from Kathua-Udhampur constituency, Jitendra Singh.
The Rs 2,519-crore all-weather tunnel is equipped with world-class safety features and has been built in a record four years on the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said earlier.
"This state-of-the-art 10.89-km tunnel between Udhampur and Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir, an engineering marvel on the most difficult terrain of the Himalayas, was built in a record four years," the minister had said.
"The project will result in a saving of Rs 27 lakh per day based on traffic estimates and would cut the travel distance between Jammu and Sringar by 41 km," Gadkari said. Read more
