Sonamarg, Jan 9: The highly anticipated 6.5-km Z-Morh Tunnel, under construction in Gagangir, central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, is set to be inaugurated next week by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to officials.
While the exact inauguration date has not been officially confirmed, sources suggest that the Prime Minister is likely to open the tunnel on January 13 or 14, with preparations already underway.
The administration is making extensive preparations for the Prime Minister’s visit. Senior officials from both the civil and police administrations have visited the site to assess the readiness of the infrastructure. Among those present were Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi, Deputy Inspector General of Police for Central Kashmir Range, Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal, Senior Superintendent of Police Ganderbal, as well as representatives from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) and APCO Construction Company.
Once operational, the Z-Morh Tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg, a popular tourist destination in Ganderbal. The bi-directional tunnel, designed with an escape tunnel for safety, will ensure seamless travel, even during harsh weather conditions.
This monumental project, valued at Rs 2400 crore, also includes a 5-km approach road. The development of the tunnel faced significant delays due to financial constraints between 2017 and 2019 when the original executing agency, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), faced financial challenges and eventually abandoned the project.
In response, the government issued a new tender for the project on June 24, 2019, with a total project cost (TPC) of Rs 2378.76 crore on a Build, Operate, Transfer (BOT) annuity basis. The project was ultimately awarded to APCO Amarnathji Tunnelway Pvt Ltd, who are building the tunnel for a total cost of Rs 2379 crore.
