The Zojila Tunnel project in Jammu & Kashmir, planned to give Ladakh year-round road access, is now expected to be finished by February 2028, the government told Parliament.
The earlier target was September 2026, but the deadline has been pushed back because of delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a terrorist attack near the Sonamarg tunnel site, and severe weather in the Himalayan mountains.
In a written statement to the Lok Sabha on 31 July, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the work is now 64% complete.
“The Zojila Tunnel was planned to be completed by 29 September 2026, but several problems — including the pandemic, a terror attack at the Sonamarg Tunnel site, and extreme weather — have delayed the project,” Gadkari explained.
The new completion target is February 2028. Once finished, the tunnel will ensure all-weather travel between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh, helping both civilians and the military.
The total project cost is ₹6,809 crore, with ₹3,934.42 crore already spent. It is being built by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
According to NHIDCL, 1,141 people are currently working on the project, and 77% of them are from Jammu & Kashmir. Around 28% of the workers come from Ganderbal district.
When completed, the tunnel will cut travel time between Sonamarg and Dras from over three hours to less than 30 minutes, avoiding the dangerous Zoji La Pass, which is prone to avalanches.
The project involves building a 13.153 km tunnel and 17.030 km of approach roads, making a total length of 30.18 km.
Nearby, the Z-Morh Tunnel near Sonamarg, which supports the same route, was completed earlier this year and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January. While the Z-Morh Tunnel already allows winter travel to Sonamarg, the Zojila Tunnel is more important because it will allow year-round access between Kashmir and Ladakh.
