Indian government-run steelmaker Steel Authority of India Limited has emerged as the single largest supplier of steel for the construction of the Zojila Tunnel project, supplying 31,000 mt of high-grade steel, including TMT rebar, structurals and plates, a company statement said on Tuesday, July 22.
The Zojila Tunnel, currently under construction, is set to become the country’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel. It is being built at an altitude of 11,578 feet in the extremely challenging terrain of the Himalayas, the statement said.
Once completed, it will provide crucial all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Leh via Dras and Kargil, significantly improving civilian and defence logistics in the region. Stretching over 30 kms, the tunnel is an integral part of the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway and is scheduled for completion by 2027.
In the past, SAIL steel has reinforced major infrastructure projects like the Chenab Railway Bridge, the Atal Tunnel, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, and the Dhola Sadiya and Bogibeel bridges.