Every biker has at one point or another uttered the phrase ‘trip to the hills’, there’s no use denying it. But for many, the harsh conditions are too much to deal with. In fact, it’s too much for the road to deal with, and National Highway 44 - the only road linking Kashmir to India - gets entirely engulfed by snow. Soon that’s all going to change as on the 2nd of April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel, the engineering marvel and the dream of every avid traveller.

The 9.28 kilometre long bi-directional tunnel will be 9.3 metres wide and 5 metres high so no worries for all you big and tall vehicles out there. It will cost a whopping 3,720 crores to build but will save an estimated 27 lakh each day in reduced fuel consumption as it cuts down the commute between Jammu and Kashmir by two and a half hours.

The tunnel, at 1,200 metres high will offer protection from the elements of nature—avalanches and landslides will no longer be a worry and the high -tech integrated control sysytem means that it has ventilation, video surveillance and an FM signal reporter to control communication. It also has regular SOS boxes and is fully equipped to deal with most emergencies. This is no place for speedsters though, because the limit will be set at 50 kilometres per hour. This is a relief because with the 29 cross passages, high speeds could be fatal.

This is yet another addition to Modi’s grand plan of a new and upgraded India and while it does cut down the original distance between Chenani and Nashri from 41km to 10.9km it still has a ways to go to beat Norway’s 24.51km tunnel, the longest in the world. Offering safe passage and easing transportation is a lot more noble than some causes that the government’s been throwing money at (looking at you, Shivaji Statue) and for that, we applaud them.