the Atal [Behari Vajpayee] The tunnel was officially certified by the World Book of Records as the “world’s longest road tunnel above 10,000 feet” on February 09, 2022, in New Delhi.
Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhry, Director General of the Border Roads Organization (DGBR) received the award for this historic achievement which links Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley. World Book of Records UK is an organization that catalogs and verifies extraordinary records around the world with authentic certification.
The 9.02 km long and strategically important Atal Tunnel passes under the Rohtang Pass. It was built on the Manali – Leh highway in freezing temperatures on extremely difficult terrain. Prior to the construction of the tunnel, the highway remained closed during the winter season for six months, isolating Lahaul and Spiti from the mainland. The construction of this tunnel has reduced the distance on the Manali – Sarchu road by 46 km and the travel time by four to five hours, providing all-weather connectivity on the Manali – Leh axis.
This visionary project was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 03, 2020.
The construction of this tunnel in the Pir Panjal range was as much a test of technical and engineering skill as it was of human endurance and machine efficiency. It was built on extremely harsh and challenging terrain, with winter temperatures dipping to minus 25 degrees. The same time the temperature inside the tunnel sometimes rose to almost 45 degrees. Fragile geology and challenges such as the infiltration of Seri Nala, leading to the flooding of the Atal Tunnel were some of the major construction challenges successfully overcome by BRO’s Karmyogis.
The BRO, true to its motto “Connecting Places Connecting People”, offers the armed forces a strategic advantage by providing an alternative link to the critical sector of Ladakh. A boon to residents of Lahaul and Spiti districts in the state of Himachal Pradesh, the region has seen an unprecedented surge in tourist arrivals. In just over a year, the valley and the state have seen growth in socio-economic areas. The Atal tunnel will play a key role in the future development of the region.
