BRO proposes India's longest road tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir for Rs 9,000 crore

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has submitted a Rs 9,000-crore proposal to the government of India for construction of a road tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir that will connect strategically important Gurez town along the Line of Control to the rest of the Valley throughout the year. "We have submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for construction of an 18-kilometre tunnel at Razdhan pass to connect Gurez with rest of the Valley through out the year," Chief Engineer BRO Brigadier A K Das, reported by PTI. If approved, it will be longest road tunnel in the country and almost double the size of the present record holder Chenani-Nashri tunnel (9.2 km) -- also in Jammu and Kashmir, which is expected to be completed later this year. Gurez, a picturesque valley in Bandipora district, is located along LoC and remains cut off from rest of Kashmir during winter months due to heavy snowfall. It is one of the many strategic areas of Kashmir -- in terms of defence as well as energy security -- as work is in progress on the Kishenganga Hydro Electric Project there. Gurez has also been used as an infiltration route by militants coming from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.