BRO completes world’s highest motorable road at Mig La Pass, surpassing Umling La

Two years after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) began work on the world’s highest motorable road, the Likaru-Migla-Fukche route, the project has been completed, bringing joy to adventure enthusiasts and local communities eager for improved connectivity. The road traverses Mig La, a towering 19,400-foot pass in eastern Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Built by Project Himank, the BRO has surpassed its own previous Guinness World Record, previously set with the completion of Umling La at an altitude of 19,024 feet. Constructed in 2021, the 52-kilometre Umling La road links Chisumle to Demchok, situated directly on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and a known friction point between India and China.

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Earlier, Khardung La, serving as the gateway to Nubra Valley and Siachen in northern Ladakh, had long held the distinction of being the highest motorable pass at an altitude of 18,380 feet.

Announcing the feat, ADGPI posted on X. “Border Roads Organisation #BRO has once again created history as Project Himank constructed the world’s highest motorable road at Mig La Pass (19,400 ft) in #Ladakh surpassing its own Guinness World Record set at Umling La (19,024 ft),” the post read.

“The newly built Likaru-Mig La-Fukche road holds immense strategic significance as the third vital axis from Hanle to Fukche, while also boosting tourism in #Ladakh and upliftment of India’s First Villages,” the post added.

Construction on the 64-kilometre Likaru-Fukche road began in August 2023. Located just three kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, the road creates a vital link from Hanle to the CDFD road at Fukche. The ambitious project was allocated a budget of around Rs 520 crore.

According to the reports, a BRO team, led by Project Himank’s Chief Engineer Brig Vishal Srivastava, hoisted the National Flag and the BRO ensign at the Mig La, announcing its much-awaited opening. However, the work on converting the track into black top is still underway, according to the sources in the organisation.