Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be requested to formally dedicate to public the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar Highway which is in the final stage of its completion.This was disclosed here today by Dr Jitendra Singh,Union Minister of State in PMO with Independent Charge of Northeast, who is also the Lok Sabha MP from Udhampur-Kathua-Doda constituency where the tunnel is coming up. Accompanied by MLA Chenani, Dina Nath Bhagat, District Administration officers, Senior Officers of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and senior functionaries of the IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL),he was on a visit to the tunnel site to assess the progress of outstanding work. MLA Ram Nagar R.S. Pathania was also present on the occasion.Dr Jitendra Singh said, he had discussed the Tunnel project with the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari soon after the latter’s return from foreign visit two days back and given him an update of the current status of the work completion.Describing it as one of the best tunnels to have been constructed in Asia, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the tunnel is going to be a historic monument for whole of India, more so for the State of Jammu & Kashmir. He said, he felt particularly proud to note that India’s most modern state-of-the-art tunnel had come up in his Lok Sabha constituency and it was going to be dedicated to public during his term as MP from the area.Dr Jitendra Singh said, with the Tunnel becoming functional, the distance between Jammu and Srinagar will be reduced by 31 kms and in the years to come, with the construction of the proposed Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Express Highway, the total distance by road from Delhi to Jammu and Delhi to Srinagar will further further drastically reduced.Earlier, in a presentation made by officers of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Project Manager, IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL) J.S. Rathore, it was stated that the length of tunnel is over 9 kms and about 10.8 kms with approach roads included. It has two tunnels, one of which is the main two-lane tunnel and the other one is an escape tunnel. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 2519 Cr, the work is being completed in a record period of 4 years.
