Another infra boost for passengers on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. A second two-lane tube tunnel will come up alongside the existing Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel on the Chenani-Nashri stretch of NH-44 in Jammu and Kashmir. This was announced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday.
The proposal, which Singh said has been approved by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, is aimed at addressing the growing traffic pressure on the key Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
What has been approved
The new tunnel will run parallel to the existing Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel, connecting Udhampur with Ramban district. Singh credited Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for accepting the proposal.
“This will ease the increasing rush of traffic on this section and ensure ease of travel,” Singh wrote on X. The minister did not specify a timeline or estimated project cost in his announcement.
About the existing tunnel
The Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel, formerly known as the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 2, 2017. It was renamed in October 2019 in honour of the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.
The 9.28-kilometre twin-tube structure passes through the lower Himalayas at an altitude of roughly 1,200 metres. It is classified as India’s longest road tunnel and serves as an all-weather link on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, significantly cutting travel time between the two regions.
Why another tunnel
Officials said traffic volumes on this stretch have risen considerably since the tunnel opened nearly a decade ago. The parallel tunnel is expected to expand overall traffic capacity and improve road safety on the section, while also reducing the highway’s vulnerability to disruption, a recurring concern on a route that connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.
The Chenani-Nashri stretch has historically been one of the more congestion-prone segments of NH-44, particularly during peak travel seasons and in the event of any closure or incident within the existing tunnel.