Atal Tunnel Rohtang in Manali, Lahaul - Himachal Pradesh
Atal Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the world (above 10,000 feet).
The plan for the tunnel was conceived in 1983. The foundation stone for the project was laid by the then prime minister of India Atal Behari Vajpayee in June 2000. Work on the tunnel began in July 2010. It was expected to be completed by 2015, but due difficult geographic conditions and large water stream (seri) inside the mountain, the tunnel was finally completed in September 2020. It is 9.02 kms long
The state-owned Border Roads Organisation will operate the tunnel.
The Rohtang Tunnel is a route that will connect the Lahaul-Spiti valley to the tourist town of Manali in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The tunnel will also form part of an all-weather access route to the mountainous regions of Leh and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
The construction of the tunnel was undertaken by Strabag-Afcons, a joint venture between India-based Afcons Infrastructure and Austria’s Strabag. The contractors were selected after the project was approved by the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security in September 2009.
Australia-based SMEC (Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation) will provide design and project management services until completion of the project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the strategically important all-weather Atal Tunnel on 3rd October 2020. It was a matter of great pride for all us in Kullu - Manali and also the people of Lahaul Spiti.
The tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 metres (10,000 feet) from the Mean Sea Level
The south portal (SP) of Atal Tunnel is located at a distance of 25 km from Manali at an altitude of 3,060 metres, while the north portal (NP) of the tunnel is located near village Teling, Sissu, in Lahaul Valley at an altitude of 3,071 metres. It is a horse shoe shaped, single-tube double lane tunnel with a roadway of 8 metres and has an overhead clearance of 5.525 metres. Atal Tunnel has been designed for traffic density of 3000 cars per day and 1,500 trucks per day with max speed of 80 kmph.
Moment of relief for people of Lahaul Spiti
Before the construction of the tunnel, there was only one route to Lahaul and Spiti via Rohtang Pass. The 13,050-feet high pass receives heavy snow during the winter, cutting off the Lahaul valley from the rest of the state for six months every year. During this period, residents of the valley are dependent on a flight service provided by the state government.
Lack of medical facilities also posed greater risk during winter periods of isolation.
Tashi Dawa, a close friend of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is remembered for convincing Vajpayee for sanctioning the tunnel. hailed from Tholang village in Lahaul and had come in contact with Vajpayee during a RSS camp in Baroda, Gujarat, in 1942. Dawa used to visit the former prime minister whenever he used to come to Prini village in Manali.
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