The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), under its Project Himank, is in advanced stages of planning multiple tunnels and high-altitude passes to ensure all-weather connectivity in eastern Ladakh, a region close to the Line of Actual Control with China. Ladakh currently relies on two national highways — NH 1 and NH 3 — with BRO responsible for the maintenance and improvement of NH 3.

The Rohtang Tunnel has already been completed, and BRO is now focusing on constructing new tunnels along critical mountain passes such as Baralacha and Tanglang. The alignments for these tunnels are almost finalized with detailed project reports forthcoming. Each tunnel project is complex, with timelines expected to range from five to seven years due to factors like soil and rock composition and extensive geo-technical surveys (GSI-GTI reports).

These tunnels aim to provide reliable year-round road access to eastern Ladakh, which is currently vulnerable to heavy snowfall blocking passes for months, thus impacting military logistics, personnel movements, and equipment deployment. Such connectivity is strategically vital for defence operations, allowing flexible and timely movement of resources in this sensitive border region.

In addition to tunnels, BRO is also developing several high-altitude passes, with Umling La completed (currently the world's highest motorable pass at 19,024 ft), Mig La under construction (expected to be at 19,400 ft), and Marshimik La already operational. Impressively, eight of the 14 highest motorable passes globally fall under Project Himank’s jurisdiction. The construction of roads and passes involves crossing multiple ridges, typically through mountain passes, which demand complex engineering efforts in high-altitude and difficult terrain.

The BRO is adopting modern construction technologies, including the use of precast concrete components, which allows more efficient work within the limited six-month working window each year caused by harsh climatic conditions. Precasting helps mitigate weather constraints and speeds up infrastructure development in this extreme environment, ensuring effective resource deployment and faster completion.

Beyond the Manali-Leh axis where these tunnels and passes are focused, BRO is also developing new routes like the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha (NPD) road in eastern Ladakh with a planned tunnel under the Shinku La pass at 15,800 feet, which will become the highest tunnel in the world. The NPD route offers a critical third axis to Ladakh, providing strategic redundancy and saving travel time compared to traditional routes susceptible to seasonal closures.

BRO’s Project Himank is undertaking a multifaceted infrastructure advance in eastern Ladakh involving several years-long tunnel and pass constructions to ensure all-weather, reliable, and strategically critical connectivity. This is vital for defence readiness near the China border and also supports the socio-economic development of the region under extremely challenging geographical and climatic conditions.

Based On A PTI Report