PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Z-Morh Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir.
National
On January 13, 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the Z-Morh Tunnel in Sonamarg, located in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
- The tunnel, also referred to as the Sonamarg Tunnel is to boosts connectivity to the Ladakh region, holding significant strategic importance for defense and tourism.
- Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and former Chief Minister (CM) Omar Abdullah were present at the event.
- The two-lane, bi-directional Z-Morh Tunnel spans 6.5 kilometers (km) in length and 10 meters (m) in width. It is built on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway (NH) at a cost of Rs. 2,700 crore using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), which is suitable for the fragile Himalayan geology.
Main Point :- (i) The tunnel includes a main tunnel (10.8 m wide), a parallel escape tunnel (7.5 m wide), a D-shaped ventilation tunnel (8.3 m wide), two major culverts measuring 110 m and 270 m in length, and a smaller culvert of 30 m.
(ii) Located at an altitude of 8,650 feet above sea level, the Z-Morh Tunnel facilitates all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg en route to Leh, bypassing areas prone to landslides and avalanches.
(iii) The Z-Morh Tunnel is designed to handle 1,000 vehicles per hour at a maximum speed of 80 km/h, ensuring uninterrupted travel during winter, with its western portal at Rezan (towards Srinagar) and eastern portal at Shetkari (towards Sonamarg).
About Jammu and Kashmir
CM : Surinder Kumar Choudhary
Governor: Sh. Manoj Sinha
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