Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel
Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel, also known as Chenani-Nashri Tunnel is a road tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located in the Lower Himalayas, on National Highway 44. Construction started in 2011 and was completed by 2017.
The Tunnel at night | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) |
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| Location | Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Status | Active |
| Route | NH 44 |
| Crosses | Patnitop, Kud, and Batote |
| Start | Chenani |
| End | Nashri, Ramban District |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | July 2011 |
| Opened | 2 April 2017 |
| Owner | National Highways Authority of India |
| Traffic | Automotive (except fuel tanker) |
| Character | Passenger and freight |
| Technical | |
| Design engineer | IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd |
| Length | 9.28 kilometres (5.77 mi) |
| No. of lanes | 2 |
| Operating speed | 50km/h |
| Highest elevation | 1,200 m (3,937 ft) |
| Width | 13 m (43 ft) |
It is India's longest road tunnel with a length of 9.28 km (5.8 mi), and the country's first tunnel with a fully integrated tunnel control system. It reduces the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 30 km and travel time by two hours. The all-weather tunnel bypasses snowfall and avalanche prone areas in winter at places like Patnitop, Kud, and Batote that obstruct NH 44 every winter and cause long queues of vehicles; sometimes for days. It is named after Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet and later founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.