Update:?The Rohtang Tunnel, also known as the Atal Tunnel after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, built at 3,000 metre above the sea level between Himachal Pradesh's Manali has been inaugurated by PM Modi.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in his 74th Independence Day speech in Kullu said,?¡°Rohtang tunnel was Vajpayee¡¯s vision and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate it to the nation in September.¡±
The Rs?3,200 crore project was announced by Atal Bihari Vajpayee on June 3, 2000, and was given to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
The Atal Rohtang tunnel named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is finally ready on the Manali-Leh highway. After almost a decade, the longest high-altitude road tunnel has now been built completely. Seemingly new images of the tunnel - that is carved out under the Rohtang Pass - have emerged on social media and they look beautiful!?
In the images, the Atal Rohtang tunnel seems well built and almost ready for use.?
The images were shared by a Twitter user named Sahil Pednekar; he wrote in the caption, ¡®Drop dead gorgeous views enroute. Base coat of paint given inside tunnels. North approach road is done including the bridge over a river¡¯.?
Indeed the view looks gorgeous.?
The Atal Rohtang tunnel is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the end of September. It is supposed to make sure that there is uninterrupted traffic between Manali and Leh throughout the year. It will also cater to Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh during winters.?
Also read:?Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Life, Political Career & Achievements?
The tunnel is 10 metres wide, 8.8 km-long and shaped like a horse shoe. It is located at 10,000 feet. Usually, it takes around five hours to cross the Rohtang Pass, but thanks to this tunnel, the journey will be shortened to just ten minutes. The Manali-Led road is now shortened by 46 km.
The tunnel is one of the two routes into Ladakh; the route will also be used to resupply the military garrison there. The other route into Ladakh is through the Zojila Pass which connects the Kashmir Valley with Drass.
The tunnel connects Manali in Kullu district to Lahaul-Spiti district.?Thanks to it, movement of goods to and from Lahaul will be easy.
Also read:?Atal Bihari Vajpayee Was So Popular Among Youth, He Worked For Country's Future Generations??