Ramban: The newly constructed two-lane tunnel and a viaduct leading to New Tunnel 1-Maroog at a problematic patch at Sitaram Passi-Maroog stretch were opened for two-way traffic.
Maroog falls between the 40 km-Ramban-Banihal stretch of Srinagar Jammu National Highway and is considered to be the most difficult phase of the four-laning project, due to the persistent threat of land or mudslides and shooting stones. It has remained one of the most problematic patches on the Srinagar Jammu National Highway.
According to the Engineers of Construction Company engaged by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for tunnelling, building a viaduct and other road construction works at Maroog, the work on a newly constructed 400 meters New Tunnel 1 (NT1) and a 250 meters viaduct leading to New Tunnel 1 (NT1) Maroog on Ramban –Banihal stretch of four-lane project of Srinagar Jammu NH-44 was fully opened for two-way traffic.
They said, “A new tunnel was opened for traffic and the expansion work on the other two lanes on the old alignment road was started on a fast-track basis on the directions of authorities i.e., NHAI.” They said that earth excavation work on the old road alignment making it into a two-lane and straight road stretch was also started at Maroog.
Engineers of NHAI, PIU, and Ramban also confirmed that the work on the tunnel i.e., New Tunnel 1, (NT1) was completed and it was opened for two-way traffic. They said the remaining tunnel furnishing and other allied works were in progress.
The officials monitoring the regulation of traffic said, “No traffic jam has been witnessed since yesterday after the opening of the tunnel.”
They said that traffic was moving without any interruption on the Ramban-Maroog stretch.
The 250-meters-viaduct and 400-meters-tunnel were constructed on the recommendations of authorities on a landslide and shooting stones prone, problematic patch of Sitaram Passi-Maroog between Ramban and Banihal section of four–lane project after its realignment in the year 2021, to safeguard people travelling on Srinagar Jammu National Highway (NH-44).
Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mussarat Islam is personally monitoring the progress of works daily.
Project Director NHAI, Ramban Purshotam Kumar said that the construction companies were working round the clock to complete the works at several places in Ramban district. Several road accidents were also reported due to landslides and shooting stones at Sitaram Passi in the past. In March 2020, at Sitaram Passi-Maroog, a Srinagar resident Azad lost his life and his cousin received injuries after their moving car was hit by shooting stones while they were travelling towards Kashmir on the Srinagar Jammu National Highway.
Police and traffic officials and local volunteers dealing with road accidents on the Highway said that the construction of a viaduct and tunnel at Sitaram Passi-Maroog would help reduce road accidents on this stretch.
