Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel, which made headlines for miracle rescue of 41 men, achieves breakthrough

The Silkyara tunnel, touted to be a fillip for the Char Dham yatra, is being constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 1,384 crore and is 4.531 kilometres long, with two lanes for bidirectional traffic. The construction of the tunnel is expected to reduce the distance between Gangotri and Yamunotri Dhams by 25 km, resulting in a reduction of travel time to five minutes from the current 50 minutes.

The construction of the tunnel, in the shape of a modified horseshoe, is estimated to be completed in 2026.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari called the breakthrough a historic milestone.

“Today marks a historic milestone with the successful breakthrough of Uttarakhand’s 4.531-km Silkyara Tunnel — an engineering marvel under the Chardham Mahamarg project. This transformative tunnel will: – Save 1 hour of travel time – Ensure seamless Gangotri–Yamunotri connectivity – Provide all-weather access for pilgrims,” Gadkari said in a post on X.

Chief Minister Dhami said the 2023 rescue effort at the tunnel site was “the longest and hardest” rescue operation. “Those who participated in that operation exhibited humanity and teamwork. This event was a true test of technical and human resolve, and it was accomplished through collective effort. It was also an occasion that brought out the unity of the locals, representatives and journalists.”

He recalled that during the rescue, when the rescuers were just 10 metres from the trapped workers, the machinery got stuck. “All our engineers and officials of MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India) were at a loss on what to do. The next option was vertical drilling, and there were several misgivings… I spoke to the workers. I told them, ‘We were about to reach you, but now it seems like you are going to be there for another five days. You will be able to stay for the next five-seven days, right?’ They told me that they were fine enough to stay for fifteen days… They encouraged us to keep working,” Dhami said.

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is the implementing agency for the project. The works at the site commenced on July 9, 2018, and on November 12, 2023, a section of the tunnel collapsed 250 metres from the Silkyara side, trapping 41 workers inside. Key challenges hindering the rescue efforts included obstructions, water logging, and machinery failures, which required innovative solutions such as horizontal drilling, vertical drilling, micro-tunnelling, and manual excavation by rat-hole miners that played a key role in efforts. NHIDCL says the restoration of the collapsed section has been completed.