A new tunnel for Jammu & Kashmir in North India

Construction of the new Digdol-Panthyal tunnel project in North India is set to transform transport in the area and is close to completion. Located in the Ramban district of Jammu & Kashmir, the tunnel will provide a safer connection for NH-44 between Digdol and Panthyal, a stretch of road that has been subject to frequent closures due to landslides and rockfalls as well as poor weather.

The new twin tube tunnel is being driven using the well-proven New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). Each of the bores will carry twin lanes, boosting capacity and reducing journey times to just five minutes.

Located high in the Himalayas, the Ramban–Banihal section of NH-44 provides a key transport link that connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. The new tunnel will be a major boost for the area as the existing stretch of NH-44 has been subject to so many frequent closures caused by inclement weather or landslides, remaining closed for several days at a time.

The project is one of several being managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in the North of the country and intended to boost transport for remote areas that have suffered from poor transport connections.