T5 Tunnel Opens For Traffic Bypasses Panthyal On Jammu-Srinagar NH44

Ramban : Panthyal the most Vulunerable Stretch On Srinagar Jammu National Highway 44 bypassed as T5 Tunnel was opened for traffic on Thursday.“The tunnel was opened for two-way traffic which will now move smoothly without the fear of disruption from falling rocks,” officials said

Work on the twin-tube 880-metre tunnel, part of the highway realignment project, started in February 2020. Its completion has put an end to the threat of shooting stones which have consumed numerous human lives, officials said,

Over the past couple of years, a temporary iron and steel tunnel at the crucial stretch provided some relief to the people travelling on the highway. But the rolling stones continued to cause frequent disruptions in the smooth movement of traffic.

NH44 is the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country and its Four Lanning Project of 270 Km was started by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in 2011.The work on this highway is on progress and major bridges, Flyovers and small tunnels likely to be completed in next year, officials said