The project to construct the longest road tunnel of India is soon to be commissioned.

It is in the strategic Srinagar-Jammu national highway. This is a nine kilometer long tunnel constructed with a budget of ₹3720 crores.

The project is expected to be commissioned early next year.

This project will make India join the integrated tunnel control system (ITCS). It is a state of the art system which is used in few countries across the world.

The system has advanced features like automatic control of tunnel lighting, ventilation, communication, fire control, vehicle monitoring etc.

This hi-tech tunnel reduces distance by about 30 kilometers.

Furthermore, it reduces about two hours of travel time.

The Nashri tunnel will is first of its kind says MT Attarde, project director of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The civil works of the tunnel is already complete. According to him, there are only some works on north side of the tunnel pending. This will be finished in the coming week or so says Attarde.

The tunnel gives 11km alternative route for 41km of the existing national highway. There will also be an addition parallel escape tunnel made for evacuation purposes.

The tunnel consists of two tubes which are internally connected through 29 cross passages. The escape tunnel is exclusive for pedestrians. The tunnel does not require any manual labor. It comes with two ducts – one for fresh air and another for exhausting the polluted air. All across the route, there are CCTVs, fire-fighting equipment and communication systems. There is a control room monitoring the tunnel in case anything goes wrong.

There is also another major road tunnel project under construction by the NHAI. It is an 8.45 km long Banihal Qazigund stretch on Srinagar Jammu national highway. It reduces the distance between two towns by 16 kms.

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