The Atal Rohtang Tunnel – All You Need to Know

An example of infrastructural marvel is now ready on the Leh-Manali highway after struggling for almost a decade. Named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former Prime Minister, the Rohtang tunnel or Manali to Leh tunnel is an amazing structure, carved out under the Rohtang Pass, making it the longest highway tunnel in the world. 

Located at a towering height of 13,050 ft. the Rohtang tunnel cuts through the Pir-Panjal range. The Manali to Leh tunnel reduces the distance by 46 kilometres. Moreover, the journey which would take around 5 hours from Spiti Valley to Lahaul Valley and Manali will be now completed in around 15 minutes.

World’s Longest Highway Tunnel

Built by the BRO (Border Roads Organisation), the Rohtang tunnel covers a distance of 9.02 kilometres. It connects Lahaul and Spiti Valley to Manali and provides connectivity for all weathers. The Spiti and Lahaul Valley remain in no touch with the outside world during the months of November to April. Therefore, the construction of the Manali to Leh tunnel will lead to smooth transportation among the snow-covered mountains. 

With the introduction of the Atal tunnel, better connectivity is provided to the armed forces in reaching the highly tensed areas of Leh and Ladakh

Significance of the Atal Rohtang Tunnel

• With the introduction of the Atal tunnel, better connectivity is provided to the armed forces in reaching the highly tensed areas of Leh and Ladakh. Also, the Ladakhi residents have been blessed as they will not remain cut off from the rest of the nation from November to April.

• The 9.02 kilometres long Rohtang tunnel will cut short a distance of 46 km from Spiti and Lahaul Valley to Manali, adding to the joy of tourists.

• The Rohtang Pass tunnel has a massive strategic influence. With the completion of the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha highway, the Manali to Leh tunnel will lead to a smooth and fast connectivity of essential supplies to the country’s military troops monitoring the border area. It is said that a whole day would be saved of the security forces while moving towards the forward posts.

• Ladakhi residents who earlier had to go through multiple difficulties for meeting basic day-to-day requirements like food supply and medication will now be smoothly connected with the rest of the nation through the Rohtang tunnel.

• Farmers of the remote region of Ladakh and Leh will be helped with the reduction in travel time. Essential products like fuel and crops would be most likely available 365 days of the year.

• Another important factor that is being significantly affected by the Rohtang tunnel is tourism. With the introduction of the Manali to Leh tunnel, tourists from all over India, especially Manali will now be able to visit the remote regions of Leh-Ladakh for day trips.

Key Features of the Atal Rohtang Tunnel

• The Atal Rohtang Tunnel is the world’s longest highway tunnel, built at an altitude of 3000 meters.
• It cuts through the Pir-Panjal range, reducing the distance from Manali to Leh by 46 kilometres. Also, the journey which would take around 5 hours from Spiti Valley to Lahaul Valley and Manali will be completed in around 15 minutes.
• The all-weather Rohtang tunnel is built by the BRO (Border Roads Organization), covering a distance of 9.02 kilometres.
• The tunnel has been shaped like a horseshoe which is designed for the capacity of 3000 cars per day along with 1500 trucks.
• The Atal Rohtang Tunnel has a route built inside for emergency purposes like an emergency exit during an incident.
• Fire hydrant facility is available at every 60 metres, telephone facility after every 150 meters, emergency exit after every interval of 500 metres along with a cave built every 2.2 kilometres. Also, a monitoring system for air quality is installed after every single kilometre.

Challenges Faced while Constructing the Atal Rohtang Tunnel

While constructing the longest highway tunnel of the world, multiple difficulties came across the way. The most hectic task was the excavation process especially in winter when the regions of Manali and Ladakh were covered in heavy snow. Initially, the excavating process was done from either end of the tunnel but due to the closing of the Rohtang Pass in the month of November, it was impossible for workers to access the northern portal. Therefore, it was decided to continue with the excavation task only from the southern portal of the Rohtang Tunnel. Interestingly because of this, 3/4^th of the tunnel was excavated from the southern end while the remaining 1/4^th was excavated from the northern side. Up to 46 avalanche sites came across during the process of excavation.”

During the construction of the Manali to Leh tunnel, the workers faced other difficulties which included:

• Disposal of 800,000 m³ of the soil & rocks which had been excavated.
• 3 million l per day ingression of water.
• Unsteady rocks, leading to a delay in digging and blasting.

Inauguration of the Atal Rohtang Tunnel

On 3^rd October 2020, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the pivotal Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh. Connecting Spiti-Lahaul Valley to Manali along with reducing the travel time to Leh by almost 5 hours, the Rohtang tunnel is no less than an engineering marvel. The Prime Minister described it as a significant day for the nation and talked about realising the dream of Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former Prime Minister, after whom the tunnel is named. The PM further confirmed that the construction of the Rohtang tunnel would reinforce the security of the country’s border.

Mr. Modi was accompanied by Rajnath Singh, India’s Defense Minister, Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravne and Chief of Defense staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat. The CM of Himachal, Jairam Thakur was also present at the ceremony.

In his inauguration speech, PM Modi put an emphasis on the world-class border connectivity of the Rohtang tunnel and its importance in the nation’s infrastructure development. He also commended the team to have worked despite various difficulties.

It was in the year 2019 that the Union Cabinet of India decided to rename the structure from Rohtang Tunnel to Atal tunnel. It was done to honour the former Prime Minister, Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s contribution to the country.

Don’t Miss Out

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. How far is Leh from Manali?

The distance between Manali to Leh is 472 Kilometers.

Q. Can we reach Manali to Leh in one day?

It is now possible to reach Leh to Manali in a single day via bus. A recent addition by HRTC, Manali to Leh single day Bus service reduces the travel time among the two spots. This initiative will be strongly beneficial for tourists who didn’t have many days for the trip and the locals for travelling smoothly between Leh to Manali.

Q. What is the cost of the Atal tunnel?

The cost of the entire project of building the Atal Tunnel is ₹3,200 crore.

Q. When was the Atal Tunnel inaugurated?

The world’s longest highway tunnel, the Atal tunnel was inaugurated on 3^rd October 2020.

Q. What is the fee required to enter Atal Tunnel?

From September, the Lahaul-Spiti administration has imposed fees for entering the Atal tunnel on all the tourist vehicles having the registered vehicle numbers out of state. The entry fee ranges from INR 50-300 depending on the size of the vehicle. Tourist buses will be charged higher, that is INR 500.