Atal Tunnel defies high-altitude limits

Atal Tunnel: longest above 10,000 feet.

Atal Tunnel connects Manali and Keylong in the Himalayas.

Atal Tunnel bypasses Rohtang Pass to ensure safer travel.

Tunnel cuts the Manali-Keylong route distance from 116 to 71 kilometres.

Travel time now takes about 2 hours, down from 5 or 6.

Atal Tunnel carries two lanes of National Highway 3 traffic.

Construction used drill and blast, not tunnel boring machines.

Construction site with huts and buses in Solang Valley.

Prime Minister Modi officially inaugurated Atal Tunnel in October 2020.

Tunnel sits around 3,000 metres above sea level in Himalayas.

Emergency tunnel runs beneath for evacuation during emergencies.

Semi-transverse ventilation keeps air fresh inside the tunnel.

Avalanche control structures protect approach roads to the tunnel.

The project cost approximately 3,200 crore rupees over 10 years.

Connecting Manali and Keylong, it redefines high-altitude travel.