Megha Engineering company to build Zojila Pass tunnel project

Hyderabad based Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) has bagged the project to construct the prestigious Zojila Pass tunnel that will provide all-year connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories.

National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) opened the bids on Friday. Among the three bidders in the race including Larsen & Toubro and Ircon International JV, the Hyderabad-based company had quoted the lowest Rs 4,509.5 crore for the tunnel project.

The project holds strategic significance as Zojila Pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway and remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall.

The project was earlier awarded to IL&FS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone in May 2018. But IL&FS could not start work and the contract was terminated in January 2019.

"This whole project has to executed in two parts. The first part is 18.50 kilometres of road, and the second part is 14.15 kilometres as a tunnel...", the MEIL said in a statement.

"The Zojila Tunnel is to be built in the shape of a horseshoe shape of 14.15 km tunnel as a two-road lane of 9.5 meters wide and 7.57 meters high. The project will be constructed from the Z-Morh tunnel to Zojila tunnel between Sonamarg-Kargil on national highway-1 in the Zojila pass area," the company said.

The building the tunnel road will be the biggest challenge due to complex hill terrain and dense snow at least 8 months in a year. The tunnel has to built at 700 meters below the surface on average.

“A two-lane road with bi-directional traffic would have to construct on the Zojila route, which called a Single Tube tunnel. The road consists mainly of shafts as well as portal structures and excavated areas. This complex project would have to complete in just 72 months.” Subbaiah, Director, MEIL said.

The Union Cabinet on January 3, 2018, had approved the Zojila tunnel project with Parallel Escape (Egress) tunnel between Baltal and Minamarg on the Srinagar-Leh section of NH-1A at a total cost of Rs 6,800 crore.