Atal Tunnel, the world's longest highway tunnel, is complete
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A decade in making
According to a report by ANI, the construction of the Atal Tunnel connecting Manali with Leh, which is the world's longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet, has been completed in a span of 10 years whereas the original estimated time was less than six years.
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Saving time and distance
"There are CCTV cameras at every 60 metres and emergency exit tunnels at every 500 metres inside the tunnel. The tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres and four hours can be saved," said KP Purushothaman, Chief Engineer.
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Dream come true
"We have had this dream to connect Leh and this was the first step to the connectivity ladder. This tunnel was a challenging project because we were working only from two ends. The other end was in North, across the Rohtang Pas which was accessible only for around five months in a year," he added.
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Risky business
Building a 8.8 kilometer tunnel that eases access in to Ladakh, especially under the weather conditions prevalent in the area was not an easy task, involving building drains and battling heavy snow.
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All weather route
The Atal-Rohtang tunnel is strategically important for India as it allows all-weather access for India’s forces to Lauhaul - an important outpost - and cuts the supply route by over 40 kilometers.
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High up
Situated at 10,000 ft, the tunnel is subjected to heavy winds and sleet but has many contingencies in the 10 metre wide area - including a smaller emergency tunnel below that connects to the main one via stairs.