New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the much-awaited Atal Tunnel in Rohtang, Himachal Pradesh. After attending the inauguration function, the Prime Minister will be participating in public functions at Sissu in Lahaul Spiti and at Solang Valley. The Atal Rohtang Tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley and will be available to the commuters throughout the year. It reduces the road distance between Manali and Leh in Ladakh by 46 km and travelling time by four to five hours. The Prime Minister was accompanied by defence minister Rajnath Singh, chief of defence staff Bipin Rawat, chief minister Jairam Thakur, Union minister of state for finance and corporate affairs Anurag Singh Thakur and the Border Road Organisation’s director general Lt Gen Harpal Singh at the inauguration ceremony. The tunnel, which the Prime Minister said will also become the lifeline for Leh-Ladakh, will remain open throughout the year as opposed to the valley being cut off for about six months every year amid heavy snowfall. The strategically important tunnel will also strengthen the country’s border infrastructure, Modi emphasised. “Be it bridges, tunnels, or road construction, development of border infrastructure will not only benefit the common man but also help the military,” he said. Atal Tunnel, described as the longest highway tunnel in the world, is built with "ultra-modern specifications" in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 10,000 feet from the Mean Sea Level (MSL). For the inauguration of the Atal Rohtang Tunnel or the Atal Tunnel, PM Narendra Modi was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, and Army Chief General MM Naravane.

What is the length of Atal Tunnel?

The Atal Tunnel is a horse-shoe shaped single tube double lane 9.02-km-long tunnel that goes under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range on the Leh-Manali highway. Atal Rohtang Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the world. It connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley, which was earlier cut off for about six months due to heavy snowfall, throughout the year.

Will Atal Tunnel Reduce distance from Manali to Leh?

The Atal Rohtang Tunnel will reduce the travel time by four to five hours. The tunnel also reduces the road distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km Altitude of Atal Tunnel Atal Tunnel is built at an altitude of 3000 meters i.e., 10,000 feet. The South Portal (SP) of Atal Tunnel is located at a distance of 25 Km from Manali at an altitude of 3060 metres, while the North Portal (NP) of the tunnel is located near village Teling, Sissu, in Lahaul Valley at an altitude of 3071 metres.

How many vehicles can ply in Atal Tunnel?

The Atal Rohtang Tunnel is designed for traffic density of up to 3,000 cars and 1,500 trucks per day with a max pace of 80 km per hour.

What are the safety features of Atal Tunnel?

The Atal Tunnel has many safety features built into it. Some of these are listed below: 1. It has entry barriers at both portals. 2. It has an auto incident detection system with CCTV cameras installed at every 250 metres, emergency exits every 500 metres and a turning cavity every 2.2 km. 3. It has telephone connections at every 150 metres for emergency communication. 4. Fire hydrant mechanisms at every 60 metres. 4. Evacuation lighting/exit signs at every 25 metres.