Atal tunnel at Rohtang in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh has recorded the highest tourist vehicular traffic for this season on Saturday, a police officer said on Sunday.
The police official said the traffic unit of the tunnel was ensuring hassle free and seamless movement through Atal Tunnel Rohtang.
“Atal tunnel Rohtang recorded the season’s highest traffic of 3,950 vehicles on 13 March. The HP Police is working to ensure a memorable experience for tourists this summer season and to this end, ready to take on more vehicles,” he said.
It is worth mentioning here that Atal Tunnel Rohtang project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October last year to provide round the year connectivity to the tribal district of Lahaul Spiti which otherwise remained cutoff from the outside world for more than 6 months every year.
Earlier, the heavy accumulation of snow on Rohtang Pass, the only way to cross over to Lahaul valley, used to stop traffic movement, making it inaccessible for most part of the year.
The opening of the Atal tunnel had made Lahaul valley a favourite destination among tourists due to the scenic beauty of the pristine Himalayan landscape.
The 9.2 km-long horseshoe- shaped single-tube, two-lane tunnel is the world’s longest motorable tunnel at over 3,000 metres above sea level.
The tunnel has been constructed by the Border Road Organisation under the 3,978 metre Rohtang Pass in the Pir Panjal range, located around 30 km from Manali and 270 km from state headquarters Shimla.
The tunnel has shortened the distance between Manali and Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul- Spiti, by 46 km, reducing travel time by around 3 hours.