India Completes Breakthrough of Strategic Himalayan Tunnel Connecting to China Border

(CNA, Zojila, India, June 9, comprehensive foreign report) Indian engineers today successfully broke through the final section of rock for the strategic Zojila tunnel running through the Himalayas, a crucial milestone that will open a year-round transportation artery to the Ladakh region on the Chinese border.

According to Agence France-Presse, the world's two most populous nations, China and India, have long vied for strategic influence in South Asia. Although relations have eased since a border conflict in 2020, the 3,500-kilometer border remains a source of long-term tension.

The tunnel is part of a broader infrastructure initiative pushed by authorities to build roads and railways that will allow trade, troops, and supplies to travel year-round from the hot lowland plains directly to the high-altitude, frigid borders.

"This is not just a tunnel, it is a lifeline," said Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari at the breakthrough ceremony for the high-altitude tunnel today.

The Zojila tunnel is designed to rapidly improve connectivity between Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, and Leh, the main city in Ladakh.

Currently, road traffic between the two locations is blocked in winter by snow that piles higher than trucks.

Engineers breaking through the final rock section, connecting the two ends that were isolated by heavy snow in the harsh winter, marks a major milestone in the construction of the 13.14-kilometer-long Zojila tunnel.

The tunnel is located beneath the Zojila Pass at an altitude of 3,528 meters. Since 2020, more than 3,000 workers have been involved in its excavation.

Gadkari pressed a button to remotely detonate the final blast, connecting the tunnels excavated from both sides and making it India's longest road tunnel.

This project is part of a larger network of four tunnels, including the 6.5-kilometer-long Sonamarg tunnel. The entire project costs $712 million and is expected to be fully completed and operational by 2028. (Compiled by: Ho Hung-ju) 1150609