India is all set to get world's highest motorable tunnel in what would be yet another feather in the list of achievements of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The agency, which is known for its infrastructure push in the border regions of the country, will start construction of the tunnel at Shinku La pass located near Manali in Himachal Pradesh, from today (July 26). Prime Minister Narendra Modi will trigger the first blast, a ceremony to kick off the construction process on the eve of 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Divas.

The tunnel will be constructed at an altitude of 15,800 feet and will connect Manali and Leh, capital of Ladakh Union Territory, through Nimmu, Padum and Darcha in Himachal Pradesh. The height of the Shinku La pass is 16,615 feet. Once completed, the Shinku La tunnel will surpass the Mila tunnel located in China as the world's highest motorable tunnel. The Mila tunnel is located at a height of 15,590 feet.

The Shinku La tunnel will be part of several high altitude tunnels India expects to get in coming years. These also include a new tunnel being constructed at Zojilla pass in Jammu and Kashmir, which is also among the highest motorable passes in the world.

World's highest tunnel at Shinku La: Key facts

On Friday, PM Modi will carry out the ‘first blast’ remotely from the Kargil War memorial in Dras. The all-weather tunnel, which will be 4.1-km in length, will reduce the distance between Leh and Manali by around 60 kms. This tunnel will also provide a third alternative for vehicles plying to Ladakh besides the Srinagar-Leh highway and the Manali-Leh highway. The highway between Manali and Leh is the shorter route and spans around 355 kms while passing through at least four high mountain passes. The new tunnel will reduce distance between Manali and Leh to just 295 kms and include Shinku La as the only high mountain pass.

What is Border Roads Organisation (BRO)?

BRO is India's premier agency which constructs and maintains roads along India's border areas. Among key achievements, the agency has constructed Atal Tunnel near Manali as the world's longest tunnel at more than 10,000 feet altitude, world's highest motorable pass Umling La at an altitude of 19,024 feet among others. BRO has received ₹6,500 crore fund in the Union Budget announced on July 23 in a fresh push to enhance road infrastructure in border regions of India. The fund allocated is 30 per cent more than what the agency received in the previous year and around 160 per cent more than what it was in FY 2021-22.