Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate on January 13 the Rs 2,400 crore strategic Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, which will be a major step towards making the Ladakh region accessible by road throughout the year.

The 6.5 km tunnel is vital in terms of the defence needs of the country in the Ladakh region and also connecting the youngest union territory to the rest of the country.

According to an official involved in the construction of the key infrastructure project, if the weather holds good, Modi is likely to physically inaugurate the tunnel.

“In case of inclement weather, the tunnel will be e-inaugurated,” he said.

Without naming the tunnel project, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a social media post, said the infrastructure asset to be inaugurated in the coming days will be a game changer for the expansion of tourism.

“J&K, especially central Kashmir, looks forward to the inauguration of a vital piece of infrastructure in the coming days. This asset will be a game changer for the expansion of winter tourism in the valley,” Abdullah posted on X.

Heavy snowfall around the Gund area of Kangan forces the closure of Srinagar-Sonamarg during the winter months. With the opening of the Z-Morh tunnel, the Srinagar-Sonamarg stretch of the road will be an all-weather road and also boost winter tourism in Sonamarg area, officials said.

The Srinagar-Leh road will be open around the year once the work on the Zojilla tunnel is completed. The work on the prestigious Z-Morh tunnel project began in May 2015 and was completed last year.

Besides reducing the travel time, the tunnel will replace the treacherous track of road which is avalanche prone as well. The soft opening of the tunnel was done in February 2024