Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Status | Active |
| Route | NH 44 |
| Start | Qazigund |
| End | Banihal |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 2011 |
| Opened | 4 August 2021 |
| Owner | National Highways Authority of India |
| Operator | National Highways Authority of India |
| Traffic | Automotive |
| Toll | Qazigund Toll Plaza |
| Technical | |
| Length | 8.45 km (27,700 ft) |
| No. of lanes | 2 Lanes per Tube (4 Lanes total in Twin-Tube with Dual carriageway) |
| Operating speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
| Highest elevation | 1,790 m (5,870 ft) |
| Width | 7 metres (23 ft) |
Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel is a 8.45-kilometre-long (5.25 mi) road tunnel connecting Banihal and Qazigund, thus helping in bypassing the Banihal Pass in the Pir Panjal mountain range in lower Himalayas. It is a Twin-Tube tunnel, carrying four lanes of National Highway 44 at an elevation of 1,790 m (5,870 ft). It also reduces the travel time between the cities of Srinagar and Jammu from 6 hours to 5.5 hours.
The tunnel consists of two parallel tunnels, one for each direction of travel. Each tunnel is 7 m (23 ft) wide, and each has two lanes of road. The two tunnels are interconnected by a passage every 500 m (1,600 ft) for maintenance and emergency evacuation. The tunnel has forced ventilation to extract smoke and stale air and infuse fresh air. It has state-of-the-art monitoring and control systems for security. Built at a cost of ₹2,100 crore, citizens pay a toll to use the tunnel.