NEW DELHI, June 8 -- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed the construction of a new two-lane tube tunnel parallel to the existing Syama Prasad Mookerjee (SPM) Tunnel, formerly known as the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, on National Highway-44 in Jammu & Kashmir. The project is expected to significantly enhance traffic capacity on one of the country's most strategically important mountain corridors.
According to a senior official, the proposed project, estimated at Rs 2,515.72 crore, will be implemented under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model. The scope includes the construction of an 8.826-km-long two-lane tunnel tube along with 0.532 km of approach roads, taking the total project length to 9.358 km. The concessionaire will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the existing tunnel and connected stretches of the Udhampur-Ramban and Ramban-Marog sections of NH-44.
The existing SPM Tunnel, inaugurated in April 2017, is a 9.28-km all-weather tunnel linking Chenani in Udhampur district with Nashri in Ramban district. At the time of its commissioning, it was India's longest road tunnel and the first in the country to feature a fully integrated tunnel control system. By bypassing the avalanche-prone and weather-sensitive stretches of Patnitop, Kud and Batote, the tunnel reduced travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by nearly three to four hours and ensured improved year-round connectivity.
The tunnel also carries significant historical and political symbolism. In October 2019, Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari announced the renaming in honour of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Union minister Jitendra Singh had then pointed out that Mookerjee's final journey to Srinagar in 1953, following his arrest at Madhopur, passed through the same route now traversed by the tunnel. Mookerjee died more than a month later while still under detention. The renaming came shortly after the abrogation of Article 370 and was viewed as a tribute to his long-standing advocacy for the complete integration of Jammu & Kashmir with the Indian Union.
Officials said the proposed parallel tunnel forms part of the Centre's broader infrastructure push in Jammu & Kashmir aimed at improving all-weather connectivity, facilitating freight movement and strengthening the Union Territory's integration with the national economy. Improved road infrastructure is expected to boost tourism, trade and logistics while supporting the region's long-term economic growth.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.