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Sonamarg Tunnel
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Sonamarg Tunnel
The Sonamarg Tunnel (Hindi: सोनमर्ग सुरंग) is a 6.5-kilometre-long (4.0 mi) road tunnel connecting Gagangir and Sonamarg, in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It carries two lanes of National Highway 1. It bypasses a Z-shaped stretch of road, which used to be avalanche-prone and get blocked during the winter months due to heavy snowfall. However now the tunnel provides all-weather connectivity to the Sonamarg. It takes only 15 minutes to travel the 6.5 km long tunnel compared to hours over the previous zig-zag road.
Together with the adjacent Zoji-La Tunnel, this geostrategically important tunnel provides year-round all-weather connectivity to Baltal (Amarnath cave), Kargil and other places in Ladakh, enhances Indian military logistics and boosts tourism and local economy. It is one of 31 road tunnels, 20 in J&K and 11 in Ladakh, constructed at a combined cost of INR1400 billion (~US$17.5 billion).
The tunnel lies near Gagangir in the Ganderbal District of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and has great strategic importance for India as it will provide quicker and year-long access to Zoji-la. The older road without this tunnel is vulnerable to dangerous snowfall and avalanches, which necessitates its closure for several months in a year. The Z-Morh Tunnel, along with the Zoji-La Tunnel, located 325km west towards Leh, will ensure uninterrupted connection between Srinagar and Kargil. The completion of the Z-Morh tunnel will also significantly reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh as commuters will no longer need to stay overnight in Kargil to compete the trip.
The tunnel will increase social and economic development throughout the region and boost tourism in Sonamarg, which boasts attractions including the Thajiwas Glacier and activities such as whitewater rafting on the Sind River.
Initially, the Z-Morh Tunnel was a 450 million dollar project being executed under PPP (DFBOT - Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer Mode) by Srinagar-Sonamarg Tunnelway Limited, an Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) owned company which was also the concessionaire for the project.
Earlier, the project was envisaged to be implemented by the BRO as owner and nodal agency. However, it has now been transferred to the NHIDCL for implementation.
ITNL (IL&FS Group entity) was appointed as EPC contractor, which in turn has appointed Apco - Titan (Joint Venture) as a construction contractor for the project. The work was suspended by the construction contractor in July 2018 due to the financial stress of the concessionaire (IL&FS Group).
The Project Authority (NHIDCL) foreclosed the concession the agreement/contract with Srinagar Sonamarg Tunnelway Limited and reinvited bidding for the construction of the balance work in June 2019. The revised (Balance Work) Total Project Cost stands at ₹2,378 crore (~USD 340 Million). The work was required to be completed in 42 months from the appointed date.
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Sonamarg Tunnel
The Sonamarg Tunnel (Hindi: सोनमर्ग सुरंग) is a 6.5-kilometre-long (4.0 mi) road tunnel connecting Gagangir and Sonamarg, in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It carries two lanes of National Highway 1. It bypasses a Z-shaped stretch of road, which used to be avalanche-prone and get blocked during the winter months due to heavy snowfall. However now the tunnel provides all-weather connectivity to the Sonamarg. It takes only 15 minutes to travel the 6.5 km long tunnel compared to hours over the previous zig-zag road.
Together with the adjacent Zoji-La Tunnel, this geostrategically important tunnel provides year-round all-weather connectivity to Baltal (Amarnath cave), Kargil and other places in Ladakh, enhances Indian military logistics and boosts tourism and local economy. It is one of 31 road tunnels, 20 in J&K and 11 in Ladakh, constructed at a combined cost of INR1400 billion (~US$17.5 billion).
The tunnel lies near Gagangir in the Ganderbal District of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and has great strategic importance for India as it will provide quicker and year-long access to Zoji-la. The older road without this tunnel is vulnerable to dangerous snowfall and avalanches, which necessitates its closure for several months in a year. The Z-Morh Tunnel, along with the Zoji-La Tunnel, located 325km west towards Leh, will ensure uninterrupted connection between Srinagar and Kargil. The completion of the Z-Morh tunnel will also significantly reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh as commuters will no longer need to stay overnight in Kargil to compete the trip.
The tunnel will increase social and economic development throughout the region and boost tourism in Sonamarg, which boasts attractions including the Thajiwas Glacier and activities such as whitewater rafting on the Sind River.
Initially, the Z-Morh Tunnel was a 450 million dollar project being executed under PPP (DFBOT - Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer Mode) by Srinagar-Sonamarg Tunnelway Limited, an Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) owned company which was also the concessionaire for the project.
Earlier, the project was envisaged to be implemented by the BRO as owner and nodal agency. However, it has now been transferred to the NHIDCL for implementation.
ITNL (IL&FS Group entity) was appointed as EPC contractor, which in turn has appointed Apco - Titan (Joint Venture) as a construction contractor for the project. The work was suspended by the construction contractor in July 2018 due to the financial stress of the concessionaire (IL&FS Group).
The Project Authority (NHIDCL) foreclosed the concession the agreement/contract with Srinagar Sonamarg Tunnelway Limited and reinvited bidding for the construction of the balance work in June 2019. The revised (Balance Work) Total Project Cost stands at ₹2,378 crore (~USD 340 Million). The work was required to be completed in 42 months from the appointed date.
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