After remaining halted for about a year, the construction work on the crucial 6.5 km long Z-Morh Tunnel between Gagangeer and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district will restart from next month, officials said.
The work on the tunnel has been suspended several timessince its commencement in 2015.
The work on the strategic tunnel, part ofSrinagar-SonamargTunnelway (SST) on the Srinagar-Kargil Highway, has been onhalt since July last year due to financial crunch faced by the then executingagency – Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS).
The government had to invite bids for the second time forthe project on June 24, 2019 with a Total Project Cost of Rs 2,378.76 crore onBOT – build, operate, transfer – basis. The government later awarded theproject to APCO AmarnathjiTunnelway Pvt. Ltd.
A senior official of APCO told Greater Kashmir that the workwould resume next month. The Z-Morh Tunnel will provide all-weather roadconnectivity to Sonamarg tourist spot which remains closed during the wintersdue to heavy snowfall in Gagangeer area.