Jawahar Tunnel on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway will be upgraded to state of the art facilities in one year according to the Chief Engineer project BEACON Brigadier IK Jaggi.
The tunnel will be equipped with “state-of-the-art ventilation, fire-fighting and intelligent traffic control systems”.
Brigadier IK Jaggi said that around Rs 80 Cr was being spent on modernization of two tubes (each 2.50 kilometres) of Jawahar tunnel and it would be developed as a tourist destination.
Talking to reporters at the tunnel, also referred to as the “Gateway of Kashmir”, Brigadier Jaggi said that after the opening of newly constructed Banihal- Qazigund tunnel for vehicular traffic, there was a need to modernize and improve safety features of the existing Jawahar tunnel.
“For this purpose, renovation work was sanctioned for its improvement. The work was entrusted to a private company BCC. There is no issue vis-a-vis the stability of Jawahar tunnel however there is dire need for its modernization and also to improve its safety features,” he said.
Brigadier Jaggi said, “Jawahar tunnel, which is important from the security point of view, is being upgraded to a modern tunnel and it will now emerge as a tourist destination.
The modernisation project will cost around Rs. 75-80 Cr. The water leakage inside the tunnel is an important issue. It will also be repaired during the restoration works.
Chief Engineer BEACON added that the old highway across the tunnel would continue to serve as a major alternate and during traffic jam in the four-lane tunnel in Banihal. He said fuel tankers and explosive laden vehicles were running smoothly via Jawahar tunnel.
He said, “I’ve come with the experts from BEACON to adopt a strategy so as to ensure the execution of the ongoing works inside one tube during winter and snowfall period.”
Last time the tunnel was renovated was in 1997. The tunnel was constructed in 1955-60 by a German company and was the only road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the world till few months back when Banihal-Qazigund four-lane tunnel was thrown open for traffic.
