Tunnels are rapidly reshaping India’s developmental map, providing smarter, safer and more sustainable alternatives to traditional transport routes. His influence goes far beyond engineering. They catalyze regional development, enhance strategic preparedness and improve the daily lives of millions of people. Tunnels in India represent more than just infrastructure development; They reflect the country’s determination to overcome geographical challenges. Cutting through mountains and terrain where connectivity was once limited, tunnels have enabled year-round transportation. They have also improved access to remote areas and strengthened ties between communities. From strategic Himalayan tunnels to urban metro networks, these projects are changing the way people, goods and resources are transported in India. Tunnels constructed using modern engineering and innovative planning play an important role in economic growth, national security and regional development. They are shaping a more connected and resilient country.
The tunnel construction boom in India is being driven by national highway expansion as well as strategic border infrastructure, metro rail development, bullet-train corridors and all-weather connectivity initiatives in remote areas. As infrastructure continues to grow, tunneling has become one of the fastest growing construction sectors.
1. Atal Tunnel
Located beneath the snow-clad peaks of the Pir Panjal range, the Atal Tunnel extends for 9.02 km, providing a high-altitude route bypassing the Rohtang Pass. Its completion has transformed connectivity, enabling year-round uninterrupted travel between Manali and the remote valleys of Lahaul-Spiti. The strategic importance of the tunnel also lies in ensuring safe, reliable access for civilian and defense movement in challenging mountainous conditions. It has been officially recognized by the World Book of Records UK in 2022 as the world’s longest highway tunnel at over 10,000 feet high. The tunnel has reduced the Manali-Sarchu distance by 46 km and reduced the travel time by four to five hours. Built in harsh Himalayan conditions, where temperatures dropped to -25 °C in winter and the tunnel’s internal temperature sometimes reached 45 °C, its construction required extraordinary resilience. The engineers faced delicate geology, Seri Nala leakage which flooded the tunnel at one point, heavy loads and intense snowfall, all of which were successfully overcome by the dedicated personnel of the Border Roads Organization (BRO).
2. Z-Morh/Sonmarg Tunnel
The Sonamarg Tunnel, a 12 km long engineering feat carved through the mountains at an altitude of more than 8,650 feet above sea level, is set to transform travel in Jammu and Kashmir. It has been built at a cost of Rs 2,700 crore. It comprises a 6.4 km long main tunnel, an escape tunnel and modern approach roads that form an all-weather lifeline to the golden grasslands of Srinagar and Sonamarg and further towards Ladakh. Now this area will not be cut off by avalanche, landslide or heavy snowfall. The tunnel keeps the route open, improving access to major hospitals and ensuring the availability of essential supplies. It is designed to handle approximately 1,000 vehicles per hour. Once connected with the upcoming Zojila Tunnel (2028), the journey will reduce from 49 km to 43 km, speed will increase from 30 km/hr to 70 km/hr, thereby boosting defense logistics, winter tourism, adventure sports and the livelihood of the people who call these mountains home.
3. Sela Tunnel
Sela Tunnel, dedicated to the nation during the Develop India North East program at Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, is built by BRO at an altitude of 13,000 feet on the Tezpur-Tawang road. The tunnel has been constructed at a cost of Rs 825 crore. It ensures all-weather connectivity and holds immense strategic importance for the armed forces while promoting socio-economic development in the border area. Built using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), it stands as a powerful reminder of how perseverance and regional commitment can reshape the future of remote mountain communities.
4. Banihal-Qazigund Road Tunnel
The Banihal-Qazigund Road Tunnel, built at a cost of over Rs 3,100 crore, is an 8.45 km long twin-tube tunnel designed to significantly improve connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir. The tunnel has reduced the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km and reduced the travel time by about one and a half hours. Composed of two separate tubes, one for each direction of traffic, the tunnel is interconnected by cross passages every 500 meters to facilitate maintenance and emergency evacuation. It has established all-weather road connectivity, strengthening accessibility and bringing the two regions closer.
5. Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Tunnel
Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Tunnel, earlier known as Chenani-Nashri Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, is a 9 kilometer long, twin-tube, all-weather road tunnel connecting Udhampur and Ramban. Built at an altitude of about 1,200 meters in difficult Himalayan terrain, it has reduced the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by almost two hours while overcoming the road length of 41 km. The tunnel has advanced ventilation, security and intelligent traffic systems operated through fully integrated control mechanisms with minimal human intervention along with enhanced security measures. Developed in line with Make in India and Skill India initiatives, the skill sets of the local people were improved and employed in the construction of this tunnel. The project created employment for over 2,000 local workers, with approximately 94 percent of the workforce coming from Jammu and Kashmir.
6. Tunnel T50 under USBRL Project
Tunnel T50, a 12.77 km long engineering feat connecting Khari and Sumber in Jammu and Kashmir, is one of India’s longest transport tunnel built under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, creating a vital rail lifeline between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country. Built using the New Austrian Tunneling Method, it cuts through challenging geology ranging from quartzite and gneiss to phyllite, with engineers overcoming high water ingress, landslides, shear zones and jointed volcanic rock. The tunnel consists of a main tube paired with a parallel escape tunnel, connected every 375 meters for safety. Equipped with CCTV cameras installed every 50 meters and monitored from a central control room, the T50 is designed for safe, uninterrupted rail operations.
7. Underwater Metro Tunnel of Kolkata
In 2024, India achieved a historic breakthrough with the launch of its first underwater metro tunnel in Kolkata, connecting the Esplanade and Howrah Plains under the Hooghly River. This engineering feat not only showcases the country’s growing technological and infrastructural capabilities, but also redefines urban mobility for one of India’s busiest metropolitan areas.
8. Zojila Tunnel
The Zojila Tunnel is emerging as a significant achievement in India’s infrastructure landscape, cutting through the most formidable Himalayan rock formations to establish a reliable, all-weather link between Ladakh and the rest of the country. Once completed, this ambitious project will become India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel, strengthening its national significance. The project, at an altitude of 11,578 feet and spread over more than 30 kilometres, is on track to be completed in 2028. As an important component of the Srinagar Kargil-Leh National Highway, it promises to enhance both civilian and military mobility across the region.
9. Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed ​​Rail Tunnel
India’s Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor has taken a futuristic leap with the success on its 4.8 km long undersea tunnel section. This is a defining feature of the country’s first bullet-train route. The tunnel, dug simultaneously from the Ghansoli and Shilphata ends, presented extraordinary challenges. The teams navigated through difficult underwater terrain before landing with precision, a feat considered a milestone in India’s engineering history. Designed using single-tube technology capable of holding two high-speed trains, the tunnel is at the forefront of cutting-edge rail construction and reflects the innovation driving India’s next generation transport infrastructure.
10.Rishikesh-Karnprayag New Rail Line Project Tunnels
The Rishikesh–Karnprayag rail line in Uttarakhand is a historic tunneling project in the Indian Himalayas. This route, spanning about 125 km, passes through the most geographically complex and environmentally sensitive Himalayan areas. As a result the project has become mainly tunnel based. It consists of 16 main line tunnels with a cumulative length of approximately 105 km and 12 parallel escape tunnels totaling approximately 98 km. Overall, 199 km of tunneling work has been completed against the total scope of 213 km. A major technical milestone of the project is the deployment of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) in Himalayan geology for the first time in Indian Railways. It is used for the 14.8 km long tunnel T-8, where a successful breakthrough has been achieved.
