The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has taken the precautionary step of temporarily suspending construction work on a tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district after the emergence of cracks within the structure.
The tunnel project, initiated to bypass landslide-prone areas in the Mehar region of Ramban, aimed to reduce the distance between Jammu and Srinagar. Sources within NHAI, addressing the media, revealed that the tunnel had been under pressure for the past few days, leading to the development of cracks.
“Our engineers are currently examining the situation, and as a precautionary measure, work has been temporarily suspended. All personnel and machinery have been evacuated from inside the tunnel,” stated the NHAI sources.
The construction of the tunnel at Mehar began approximately one-and-a-half years ago, with simultaneous work taking place at two portals (P1 and P2). This tunnel is part of a larger initiative to realign the national highway between Ramban and Banihal, introducing three tunnels ranging from 400m to 800m in length to navigate around landslide-prone stretches.
The decision to halt construction reflects the commitment to safety and thorough evaluation of structural integrity before resuming the project. NHAI engineers are expected to conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine the necessary measures to address the cracks and ensure the stability of the tunnel in the long term.