Rohtang tunnel work may end before 2014

The use of latest tunnel boring machines for the Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh could reduce the cost as well as the construction period by at least a year.

According to earlier estimates the Rs 1,123 crore, Rohtang tunnel located some 300 km from here is to finish in 2014 after work starts early next year.

"Work on boring the country's longest road tunnel at 8.8 km is to commence early next year and the work would be awarded by the end of this year," said Krishan Pratap Singh head of the Border Road Organisation (BRO) here today.

"The consultancy work(rpt consultancy work) has already been awarded to Smeck an Australian company which will soon submit its report recommending the exact technique of boring the tunnel," he said.

"If the latest boring technique is used instead of the drill and blast method it could reduce the cost of the Rohtang tunnel, besides the construction time by one to two years," said Singh.

The strategically important 480 km long Manali-Leh highway connects the landlocked region of Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir but the high altitude road currently remains blocked due to heavy snow over the high passes for more than half the year.

The snowfall is heaviest at the 13,050 ft high Rohtang pass.This tunnel will be built below this pass so that it bypasses the heavy snow besides reducing the distance by 46 km, officials say.