Manali: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated the 9.02 km long Atal Tunnel, beneath the lofty Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district to the nation.
"It is an example of world-class border connectivity. There have been demands to improve border infrastructure but for a long time, such projects either couldn't get out of planning stage or got stuck midway," Modi said in his address after dedicating the highway tunnel, one of the world's most challenging and a marvel of engineering motorways, in the Himalayas to the nation.
The tunnel would be a lifeline for Ladakh and would boost border security.
It is the longest highway tunnel in the world built at an altitude of 3,000 meters.
Praising the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a wing of the Defence Ministry, Modi said, "One of our top priorities is to strengthen the international border on all sides."