IL&FS Transportation gets LoA for Zojila tunnel in J-K

IL&FS Transportation today said it has received the letter of award (LoA) for Zojila pass tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir for which a construction period of 2,555 days has been fixed.
The Cabinet on January 3 had approved strategic Zojila pass tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir to provide all- weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh, which remains cut-off from the rest of the world during winters due to heavy snowfall.
Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway which remains closed during winters (December to April) due to heavy snowfall and avalanches cutting off Leh-Ladakh region from Kashmir.

"We wish to inform that the company has received a Letter of Acceptance dated January 19, 2018 from NHIDCL (National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd) for development of the Project. The construction period for the Project is 2,555 days," IL&FS transportation said in a regulatory filing to the BSE.
The company said it had earlier intimated vide letter dated July 28, 2017 that it has emerged as the lowest bidder for construction, operation and maintenance of 2-lane bi- directional Zojila Tunnel with Parallel Escape (Egress) Tunnel on Srinagar-Leh Section in Jammu & Kashmir on EPC mode at a cost of Rs 4,899.42 crore.

The project is implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways through NHIDCL.
The civil construction cost of the project is Rs 4,899.42 crore. The total capital cost of the project is Rs 6,808.69 crore.
The project aims at construction of 14.15 km long two- lane bi-directional single tube tunnel with a parallel 14.2 km long egress tunnel excluding approaches between Baltal and Minamarg in the state.