RAJOURI: With the successful boring of the 700-meter Naushera Tunnel connecting Akhnoor to Rajouri and Poonch, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Sunday achieved a major milestone in the big-ticket Akhnoor-Rajouri-PoonchBreakthrough of 700-meter Naushera tunnel highway Project.
The construction of the major infrastructure project--National Highway 144A, connecting Akhnoor to Poonch, crossed a major milestone with the successful tunnel boring. A breakthrough ceremony was organised at the Naushera Tunnel, with the workers erupting in celebrations.
The tunnel spans an impressive 700 metres and will serve as a crucial link between Akhnoor and Poonch once the project opens to the public.
Director General of Border Roads (DGBR), Lieutenant General Raghu Srinivasan, who led the breakthrough ceremony, underscored the importance of this project, saying that it marks a major step in enhancing regional connectivity and facilitating smoother transportation along the National Highway.
Lt. Gen. Raghu Srinivasan said, "Last year, on November 20, 2023, a similar breakthrough was achieved at the Kandi tunnel, in a triumph of the ongoing efforts of the BRO towards providing better connectivity across the areas of Rajouri and Poonch. The progress of the NH project is going at a great pace and the project is expected to be completed by 2026, before time."
"The BRO is spearheading crucial road projects to connect remote areas with major centres in the Jammu-Poonch region. The Jammu-Poonch link is also on track for completion in the next few years," he added.
On the ongoing push for road projects and public infrastructure to aid the movement of the defence forces, he added, "The development of infrastructure is a continuous process and the Border Roads Organisation is committed to strengthening defence infrastructure by building and upgrading strategic roads all along the International Border (IB), Line of Control (LC), and Line of Actual Control (LAC)."
Earlier, in December, in a significant breakthrough in the Udhampur-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, the 3,209 metre-long tunnel--T-1--between Katra and Reasi--was bored successfully.
The project would make a major step towards enhanced connectivity in the remote area.