The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur announced that the strategic Atal Tunnel will be entirely completed by the end of September 2020. The strategic Rohtang tunnel, which has been named after the late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is likely to be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2020. The strategic Atal Tunnel will be the longest highway tunnel in the world above 10,000 ft. The development work was halted for some days due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in May 2020.
An ambitious project, the strategic Rohtang tunnel is being built at an elevation of 10,171 ft under the Rohtang Pass in the Himalayas’ eastern Pir Panjal Range. Once the tunnel is opened, the distance between Manali and Lahaul-Spiti’s administrative centre Keylong is expected to be reduced by around 45 km. The project undertaken by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was in the critical stage of development wherein construction works of the tunnel including installation of electro-mechanic fittings, lighting, ventilation, Intelligent Traffic Control Systems, road surface works, among others were being executed.