The Atal Tunnel has been built by Border Road Organisation at an altitude of 3000 metres. Which places are connected by this tunnel?

Key Points

• The Atal Tunnel is a highway tunnel built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway.
• It connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year, which was previously cut off for about six months due to heavy snowfall.
• The tunnel is named after former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is one of the longest tunnels above 10,000 feet in the world.
• The tunnel reduces the road distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometers and the time by about 4 to 5 hours.

Additional Information

• The Atal Tunnel project was announced by Atal Bihari Vajpayee on June 3, 2000.
• The foundation stone for the access road to the south portal of the tunnel was laid on May 26, 2002.
• The tunnel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2020.
• The tunnel is designed to handle traffic of up to 3,000 cars and 1,500 trucks per day.
• It is equipped with state-of-the-art electromechanical systems, including semi-transverse ventilation, SCADA-controlled firefighting, illumination, and monitoring systems.
• The tunnel also has an emergency escape tunnel built into the main tunnel itself.