World’s longest highway tunnel above 16,000ft beneath 16,580ft high Shinku-la pass will be ready by 2025 that will provide Zanskar valley of Ladakh an all-weather connectivity, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) chief Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry said at Shinkula top. After attending the Golden Handshake Ceremony on occasion of opening of Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road amidst fresh snowfall, and in the middle of 5 to 6ft high walls of snow, the director general border roads (DGBR) Chaudhary said this new road, which has now opened for traffic movement, will be officially opened for all kinds of vehicles as widening and blacktopping of the highway will be completed in three years along with completion of the 4.25 km-long Shinkula tunnel. He said formation cutting of the remaining stretch between Padum and Nimmu in Ladakh will also be completed soon. He said a new Road Construction Company (RCC) will be established in the area. Chaudhary was quoted as saying: “The Shinkula pass tunnel will be 4.25 kilometer in length at altitude of about 16,000 foot. It will be the highest and longest tunnel at this altitude in the entire world. He said work on construction of the tunnel will start in July or August this year. The exercise to build the Nimmu-Darcha road had started 20 years back but the work faced many technical glitches. This new road is going to prove boon not only to the army but also it will bring positive revolution in the Zanskar valley of Ladakh.” He said it used to take many days to travel from Zanskar to Himachal in the past but now the travel time has been reduced to only a few hours. He said the travel time will further be reduced after widening and blacktopping of the highway. DGBR said the Yojak Project of BRO, which
World’s longest highway tunnel above 16,000ft beneath 16,580ft high Shinku-la pass will be ready by 2025 that will provide Zanskar valley of Ladakh an all-weather connectivity, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) chief Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry said at Shinkula top. After attending the Golden Handshake Ceremony on occasion of opening of Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road amidst fresh snowfall,
Kela pass is a high mountain pass in the Changthang region of Leh district in Union Territory of Ladakh which has become the highest motorable pass of the country connecting Leh with Pangong Lake. The altitude of Kela pass is 18,600 ft from mean sea level. Kela pass is the gateway to Kela tso (Kela lake) or Lchagri Gyamtso Lake and further to Tharuk, Sarkunchar and Tangste village, and Pangong Lake. Kela pass was used by shepherds and trekkers until recently when Indian Army connected the pass by a motorable road. The Kela pass or Keyla pass is approachable from both Tangste and Zingral (below Changla pass). Surpassing 18,380 ft high Khardungla pass, the Kela pass has become the highest motorable road of the country that will be open for general traffic movement. However, 19,300 ft high Umling-la pass of Ladakh is the highest motorable pass/road in the country but the pass is not open for the general public. The Leh-Kela pass-Pangong lake road will be open to general traffic movement in a few days. The road via Kela pass will reduce the distance between Leh and Pangong lake by 41 KM after bypassing 17,586ft high Chang-la pass. This new road will not only reduce distance and travel time from Leh to Pangong lake but will also become a new tourist destination with its all-new landscapes. Tourists will get to see Kela lake (Kela tso), unexplored villages, nomads, snow and glaciers. This road will also be strategically important for the Indian Army as it will allow fast and safe movement of the military convoys to Pangong Lake. The new road that connects Zingral (Leh side) to Tharuk (Pangong side) has provided an alternative road to Durbuk sub-division. The local residents of the area were also demanding an alternative and shorter
Kela pass is a high mountain pass in the Changthang region of Leh district in Union Territory of Ladakh which has become the highest motorable pass of the country connecting Leh with Pangong Lake. The altitude of Kela pass is 18,600 ft from mean sea level. Kela pass is the gateway to Kela tso (Kela
Discover Leh Ladakh has achieved another feat by becoming first to reach Zanskar valley of Ladakh using the newly built Manali Shinkula Zanskar road that has decreased the distance between Manali and Zanskar by over 630 KM. The road between Darcha in Lahaul valley of Himachal and Padum in Zanskar is being built above 16,600ft high Shinkula (Shingo-la) pass for nearly 10 years now. Although the road is not safe for general traffic movement and is still under construction, team Discover Leh Ladakh successfully reached Padum, headquarters of Zanskar, in their SUV in just one day. Otherwise, Manali to Zanskar is a four-day-long drive and it is two days drive from Leh. Zanskar is a Buddhist dominated valley in Kargil district of Ladakh. The beautiful valley which is home to a large number of huge glaciers, rivers, towering peaks and vast plateaus, is divided from Suru valley (Kargil) via Pensi-la pass. Kargil to Padum (Zanskar) is about 9 to 10 hours hectic but beautiful journey. Drang-Drung glacier and Nun Kun glaciers that almost touch the road are main attractions of this road trip. Zanskar is home to about 15,000 residents. As their culture, trade relations and religion is similar to residents of Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal, they always wanted to get connected with Himachal. Despite old Kargil-Zanskar road, the residents used to come to Manali and Lahaul after covering large distance on foot via Shinkula pass. The residents of Zanskar valley celebrated coming close to Himachal by over 630km as they welcomed the first vehicle in the valley that arrived via new road after crossing the Shinkula pass on September 3, 2019. Watching a vehicle coming into the valley from Shinkula pass, the three from Discover Leh Ladakh were given warm welcome by happy residents in many villages. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) officials,
Discover Leh Ladakh has achieved another feat by becoming first to reach Zanskar valley of Ladakh using the newly built Manali Shinkula Zanskar road that has decreased the distance between Manali and Zanskar by over 630 KM. The road between Darcha in Lahaul valley of Himachal and Padum in Zanskar is being built above 16,600ft
