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India’s Mega Tunnel Projects Span Mountains, Rivers and Cities
India is building many large tunnels for roads and trains.
Some tunnels are being made through mountains, while others will pass under rivers or the sea.
The Zojila Tunnel will connect Jammu and Kashmir with Ladakh and has already reached its main breakthrough.
Assam is planning a tunnel under the Brahmaputra River for both roads and railways.
Mumbai’s bullet train will use an undersea tunnel beneath Thane Creek.
A railway project in Uttarakhand is nearly finished with most of its tunnelling work complete.
Andhra Pradesh is building a shorter road tunnel to make travel between Bengaluru and Vijayawada more direct.
Delhi has approved another underground road corridor, while Shinkun La Tunnel is planned to provide all-weather access toward Ladakh.
The Zojila Tunnel’s 13.153-km main passage achieved a breakthrough on June 9, 2026, linking Baltal with Minamarg.
Assam’s proposed Brahmaputra Underwater Road-cum-Rail Tunnel will form part of the 33.77-km Gohpur–Numaligarh corridor.
The Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project includes a 7-km undersea section beneath Thane Creek, with two tunnel boring machines working in July 2026.
The Rishikesh–Karnaprayag project has completed about 101 km of its 104-km main-line tunnelling and more than 95 km of escape tunnels.
Other projects include tunnels in Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and the Shinkun La route to improve road access and regional connectivity.
- Who
- The Government of India and agencies including the National Highways Authority of India, Border Roads Organisation and railway authorities are developing the projects.
- What
- A nationwide group of road and railway tunnel projects is being built or planned across difficult terrain, beneath the Brahmaputra River and under Thane Creek.
- Where
- The projects are located in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Assam, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and the Himachal Pradesh–Ladakh region.
- When
- Several milestones and approvals were reported in 2026, including updates in June, July and September.
- Why
- They are intended to improve road and rail connectivity, provide more direct routes, reduce travel distances and support all-weather access to difficult or remote areas.
Key facts
- Zojila Tunnel
- 13.153-km bi-directional main tunnel; total project length is 30.18 km and cost is Rs. 6,809 crore.
- Brahmaputra tunnel
- A proposed 15.79-km twin-tube TBM tunnel within a 33.77-km corridor; total capital cost is Rs. 18,662 crore.
- Mumbai–Ahmedabad underwater section
- A 7-km undersea rail tunnel beneath Thane Creek within a larger 21-km underground section.
- Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway
- A 125-km rail line with 104 km of main-line tunnels and 98 km of escape tunnels.
- Andhra Pradesh economic corridor tunnel
- A 3.68-km tunnel on NH-544G, estimated to cost Rs. 1,092.18 crore and expected to be completed by mid-2027.
- Dwarka Expressway–Vasant Kunj corridor
- An approved 8.1-km, six-lane corridor with a 3.14-km tunnel and a project cost of Rs. 6,969 crore.
- Shinkun La Tunnel
- A planned 4.1-km twin-tube road tunnel at around 15,800 feet between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
Sources
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