A major infrastructure project is planned on NH-244 in Jammu and Kashmir to improve road connectivity through the region’s challenging mountainous terrain. The Sudhmahadev–Dranga twin-tube tunnel project will include new tunnels along with approach roads on an important section of the highway.
The project is expected to make travel through the hilly stretch smoother and provide a more reliable road connection between key areas along the NH-244 corridor.
Bids invited for Rs 2,765 crore tunnel project
To fast-track the project, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) recently invited bids for the Sudhmahadev–Dranga twin-tube tunnels and approach roads on the Chenani–Sudhmahadev–Goha section of NH-244.
The Rs 2,765.71 crore project will be developed under EPC mode. Bids can be submitted until October 15, 2026, with technical bids opening on October 16.
The EMD is Rs 27.65 crore, while the pre-bid meeting is scheduled for September 25. The project has a 48-month completion period.
About the Sudhmahadev–Dranga tunnel project
The project has a total design length of 12.85 km, including the tunnel sections and approach roads. It will feature two uni-directional twin-tube tunnels, with separate tubes for traffic moving in opposite directions.
The first tunnel will have lengths of 5.449 km and 5.417 km for its two tubes, while the second tunnel will have tubes measuring 2.640 km and 2.630 km.
NHIDCL’s DPR shows that the two tunnel sections are connected through approach infrastructure, including a 737-metre viaduct between the eastern portal of Tunnel 1 and the western portal of Tunnel 2.
Approach roads and wider NH-244 connectivity
Along with the tunnels, the project includes approach roads connecting the tunnel portals with the highway, as well as safety and ventilation systems such as jet fans for air circulation inside the tunnels.
The Sudhmahadev–Dranga project is part of the broader development of NH-244 in Jammu and Kashmir, which connects areas including Chenani, Sudhmahadev, Goha and Khellani. The project is expected to improve connectivity and make travel through the mountainous stretch more reliable.