ZOJI LA (BALTAL): Zoji La tunnel, an upcoming 13. 1km strategic corridor that will provide all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh, is on the cusp of a defining moment with a “breakthrough” final blast set for Tuesday.Only three meters of rock remain now and will be blasted before the two ends of the tunnel -- at Sonamarg (Baltal) in Kashmir and Minamarg in Ladakh -- meet.Emotions ran high Monday as workers, engineers, and officials gathered near the site, preparing it for Union highways minister Nitin Gadkari to press a button that will set off the “breakthrough blast” and mark completion of the excavation phase.The tunnel’s end-to-end will improve ventilation and allow work to accelerate on the remaining phases of the project, expected to be completed in two years.

Once ready, it will be one of the world’s longest single-tube, bidirectional road tunnels at such an altitude. “India’s most challenging infrastructure taking shape in the remote heights of the Himalayas -- Zojila Tunnel!” Gadkari posted on X on Monday.Harpal Singh, joint chief operating officer (COO) of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL), the company executing the project, said the minister would approach the “breakthrough point” from the Ladakh side, reflecting the tunnel’s importance for the region’s connectivity and India’s strategic interests.

After the blast, a limited number of vehicles will be allowed to pass through in a symbolic move.The project employs around 1,400 workers, who braved extreme temperatures ranging from -20°C to -30°C nearly 100 days a year. Five major avalanches hit the area, two of them so severe that machinery and workshops were damaged. “Nearly 80% of our workforce is from Kashmir. They have done a wonderful job,” Singh said.For Sanjay Sharma, 47, project supervisor since work began in Oct 2020, Tuesday’s event will be historic.

“The breakthrough is a big moment for us,” Sharma said. COO Singh echoed the view. “I am 67, and I don’t think I can get this opportunity at any other time in my life now. I am lucky,” Singh said.Megha MD PV Krishna Reddy hailed the workers for executing the project in a Himalayan region so far cut off for long spells every year due to snowfall, avalanches and other extreme weather conditions. “All those involved in it have done a great job,” Reddy said.