Border Roads Organisation opens Sungal Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has operationalized the 2.79-km Sungal Tunnel on the Jammu-Poonch road. Constructed through the Kalidhar Range at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore, the tunnel bypasses a landslide-prone stretch of the highway, reducing travel distance by up to 13 kilometers and cutting journey time by approximately 45 minutes.

Initially opened to light motor vehicles between 8 am and 8 pm, the tunnel is part of the widening and upgradation of National Highway-144A. The BRO plans to permit heavy vehicles and round-the-clock traffic progressively following safety and operational assessments.

In conjunction with these infrastructure improvements, the BRO has been conducting intensive landslide clearance operations on National Highway 144 in the Rajouri-Poonch sector. These efforts follow heavy rainfall and flash floods that caused boulders and debris to block several stretches of the highway, disrupting connectivity between Rajouri, Poonch, and Jammu.