New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the strategically important, Atal tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, which connects Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti Valley and reduces travel time to Leh (Union Territory of Ladakh) by five hours. . Prime Minister Modi was accompanied by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Narwana, as well as Himachal Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.
Describing that moment as a ‘historic day’ and realizing the dream of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the tunnel was named – the tunnel is named after him – PM Modi said that the tunnel is the boundary of India Will strengthen the infrastructure.
The Prime Minister said in his inauguration speech, “Atal tunnel will give new strength to India’s border infrastructure.” This is an example of world class border connectivity. There have been demands to improve border infrastructure, but for a long time, such projects have either not gone out of plan or stuck in the middle.
The Prime Minister said, “This tunnel is important not only for Himachal but also because it facilitates connecting with Ladakh.” Those who live in the mountains will know the importance of cutting travel time by four or five hours. “
Described as the longest highway construction (above 10,000 ft) of its kind in the world, the 9.02 km long Atal tunnel was built to ‘ultra-modern specifications’ at an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft) in the Himalayan Kah Pir Panjal range is.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that it is a horseshoe-shaped, single-tube, double-lane tunnel with eight meters of roadways and has an overhead clearance of 5.525 meters. The tunnel is designed for a traffic density of 3,000 cars and 1,500 trucks per day, each of which can travel at a maximum speed of 80 kmph.
The South Portal (SP) of the tunnel is located at a distance of 25 km from Manali and at an altitude of 3,060 meters. The North Portal (NP) is located near the village of Teling at an altitude of 3,071 meters in the Lahaul Valley. Let us tell you that the decision to build a strategic tunnel under Rohtang Pass in Himachal was taken on 3 June 2000, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The foundation stone of the access road to South Portal was laid on 26 May 2002.
Also read in Hindi: पीएम मोदी ने रणनीतिक रूप से महत्वपूर्ण ‘अटल टनल’ का किया उद्घाटन