The trial run for heavy motor vehicles through the double-tube four lane Banihal-Qazigund tunnel along Srinagar-Jammu Highway was conducted today.

Sources said that the trial run was conducted in Ujroo Qazigund Banihal tunnel in presence of Project Manager Navyug Company Jalchandera.
Navyug Engineering Company which is the executing agency for the tunnel conducted the trial for heavy motor vehicles for over an hour.
The 8.5-km-long tunnel, built at the cost of Rs 2,100 crore will reduce the distance between Srinagar and Jammu by 16 kms from the present 35 km, and will bypass Jawahar Tunnel and Shaitan Nalla, which is prone to heavy snowfall and slippery conditions during winters.
An official said that the work on the Rs 2100-crore project started in June 2011 by Navyuga Engineering Company and was supposed to be thrown open for traffic in March this year, however, some work on it remained incomplete.
The official added that the tunnel is ready for the inauguration and shortly it will be thrown open for the traffic.