Several tunnels and high-altitude crossings are being planned by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) under its Project Himank in order to provide all-weather connectivity in eastern Ladakh, which is located near the Line of Actual Control with China. NH 1 and NH 3 are the two national highways that Ladakh now depends on; NH 3 is maintained and improved by BRO.
Now that the Rohtang Tunnel is finished, BRO is concentrating on building more tunnels along important mountain passes including Tanglang and Baralacha. These tunnels’ alignments are nearly complete, and comprehensive project reports will be available soon. Due to several considerations, including the nature of the rock and soil and the need for intensive geo-technical studies (GSI-GTI reports), each tunnel project is complicated and is anticipated to take five to seven years to complete.
BRO is building a number of high-altitude passes in addition to tunnels. Umling La, which is presently the highest motorable pass in the world at 19,024 feet, is finished, while Mig La is being built and is anticipated to reach 19,400 feet. Marshimik La is also operating. Interestingly, Project Himank is responsible for eight of the world’s fourteen highest motorable passes. Building roads and passes requires intricate engineering work in challenging terrain and at high elevations since it entails traversing several ridges, usually through mountain passes.
The BRO is implementing contemporary building technology, such as precast concrete components, to enable more productive work within the year’s six-month working window, which is a result of severe weather. Precasting ensures efficient resource deployment and quicker completion by reducing weather limitations and accelerating infrastructure construction in this harsh climate.
BRO is building additional routes outside of the Manali-Leh axis, which is the center of these tunnels and crossings. For example, the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha (NPD) road in eastern Ladakh will have a proposed tunnel beneath the 15,800-foot Shinku La pass, which will be the tallest tunnel in the world. In contrast to conventional routes that are subject to seasonal closures, the NPD route provides a crucial third axis to Ladakh, offering strategic redundancy and reducing travel time.
In order to provide all-weather, dependable, and strategically important connection, BRO’s Project Himank is implementing a multidimensional infrastructural advancement in eastern Ladakh that will involve tunnel and pass building over a number of years. In addition to supporting the socioeconomic growth of the area amid extraordinarily difficult geographical and climatic conditions, this is essential for defense preparedness close to the China border.
