Images: Work on India's LONGEST road tunnel begins

With engineers blasting a part of a hill to make way for the construction of the 9-km-long Chenani-Nashri tunnel in Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir, work on India's longest road tunnel has begun on Setember 2.

The tunnel when complete will link Chenani to district Ramban on National Highway 1A, shortening the distance of a treacherous 35 km to just 9 km.

The builder for the tunnel is Leighton Welspun Contractors. The tunnel will cost about Rs 3,720 crore (Rs 37.20 billion) to make.

The tunnel project is being constructed for Chenani Nashri Tunnel Ltd which is an IL&FS Transportation Network entity.

Image: A bulldozer clears the rubble after a Trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosion, during the start of the first section of Chenani-Nashri tunnel project, which will be India's longest road tunnel, at Chenani village, about 90 km (56 miles) north of Jammu.

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Image: The Chenani-Nashri tunnel project involves construction of about 9 km (6 miles) of two lane main tunnel (13.3m diameter) along with a parallel escape tunnel (5m diameter) to develop road connecting Chenani to Nashri village, a media release said.

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Image: A Trinitrotoluene explosion is carried out during the start of the first section of Chenani-Nashri tunnel project, about 90 km (56 miles) north of Jammu on September 2, 2011.

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Image: Chiv Keng (C) wife and Charis Loiuse Waugh (2nd L), daughter of Russell Waugh, managing director of Leighton Welspun Contractors Pvt. Ltd., stand with workers after a TNT explosion, during the start of the first section of Chenani-Nashri tunnel project.

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Image: A worker waves a red flag to caution colleagues not to go near the site where a TNT explosion is to be set off during the start of the first section of Chenani-Nashri tunnel project, which will be India's longest road tunnel.

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Image: Workers arrange stones after a TNT explosion at the site of the 9-km-long Chenani-Nashri tunnel in Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Image: A bulldozer works during the start of the first section of Chenani-Nashri tunnel project on September 2, 2011.

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Image: A security personnel stands guard after a Trinitrotoluene explosion, during the start of the first section of Chenani-Nashri tunnel project, about 90 km (56 miles) north of Jammu September 2, 2011.

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Image: A boy stands after a Trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosion, during the start of the first section of Chenani-Nashri tunnel project, at Chenani village, about 90 km (56 miles) north of Jammu September 2, 2011.