The opening of the Banihal-Qazigund tunnel is going to be a milestone in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. According to the union minister for roads, Nitin Gadkari, all the construction works of the tunnel which has been built at 5800 feet above sea level have been completed. The tunnel will bring down curtains on Jawahar Tunnel which was the only all-weather escape for people of Kashmir who intended to travel from Srinagar to Jammu or vice versa. The new tunnel will provide all-weather option for people travelling between Jammu and Srinagar by bypassing the Jawahar Tunnel and Shaitan Nalla, both of which are a nightmare for commuters during inclement weather conditions. The tunnel was sanctioned by the UPA government in 2011 as part of its Rs 10000 cr package for developing connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. It was a crucial announcement because Kashmir remained cut off from mainland India during winters. The construction of the tunnel was started but it faced several bottlenecks due to the difficult terrain and a new challenge that it posed to the engineers of the country. Besides, due to the shortage of capital infusion, the project hit several hurdles. The tunnel falls on the strategically crucial road which links Kashmir to the rest of the country. The existing tunnel below the Banihal pass often saw traffic snarls that affected movement on the highway due to its elevation of 2,194 metres and limited traffic capacity. The new tunnel's average elevation at 1,790 metres is 400 metres lower than the existing Jawahar Tunnel's elevation, making it less prone to avalanches. The 8.2-km long tunnel along the 270-km National Highway 44 has been built at a cost of ?21,00 crore in 10 years. According to officials, the tunnel will reduce travel time between Banihal in Jammu province and Qazigund in south Kashmir by about 1.30 hours and distance by about 16 kms. The tunnel has a state-of-the-art exhaust system to prevent gas formation inside with the help of 126 jet fans. Engineers have also added a corridor between the two tubes after every 500 meters for use in case of emergency. It will also have 234 CCTV cameras and a firefighting system installed in both tubes of the tunnel. The project is certainly going to be a milestone in improving connectivity to Kashmir