How new tunnel, 13-km ropeway will redefine Kedarnath travel - 'Not just a route, but an emergency escape'

Kedarnath ropeway project

• Government approves 7-km twin-tube tunnel to boost Kedarnath pilgrimage safety
• Tunnel will link Chaumasi to Sonprayag and serve as emergency escape route
• Adani to build Sonprayag-Kedarnath ropeway, cutting travel time to 40 minutes

Did our AI summary help?

The government has approved plans for a significant 7-kilometre twin-tube tunnel in Uttarakhand, aimed at bolstering safety and accessibility for the swelling number of pilgrims travelling to the revered Kedarnath shrine. The tunnel will link Chaumasi in the Kalimath Valley near Guptkashi to Sonprayag.

This infrastructure is designed not merely as an alternative route but to function as a vital emergency escape passage during severe weather or other crises. TOI reported that the move forms part of a broader strategy to manage pilgrimage traffic, which has seen a steep rise in recent years.

Authorities project pilgrim numbers to surge from 17.7 lakh last year to an estimated 25 lakh by 2030 and 40 lakh by 2040. The existing national highway, NH-107, currently bears all vehicular traffic headed towards Sonprayag and Gauri Kund, a route that will be augmented by the new development.

In preparation, the narrow, single-lane road through the Kalimath Valley — under the state government’s jurisdiction — will be widened into a two-lane carriageway to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic post-tunnel completion.

The proposal was the subject of detailed discussions between the Road Transport Ministry and the Uttarakhand government last week, TOI reported. Acknowledging the lessons from the Silkyara tunnel incident, the ministry has mandated comprehensive geological and hydrological surveys before construction commences.

Concurrently, connectivity will be further enhanced by a separate, ambitious ropeway project. Awarded to Adani Enterprises, the 12.9-kilometre Sonprayag-Kedarnath cable system is slated to become operational by 2031-32.

Once in service, it will dramatically reduce the journey time, ferrying pilgrims one-way in approximately 40 minutes with a capacity to move 1,800 people per hour.

Additionally, the government will conduct a feasibility study for a dedicated walkway and pedestrian tunnel from the Chaumasi side, potentially offering another layer of connectivity for those on foot.

Together, these projects represent a calculated infrastructure push to transform the pilgrimage experience, prioritising not only efficiency and time savings but, critically, the safety of the millions who undertake the journey annually.