Rohtang tunnel named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee :

1. The Rohtang tunnel, providing all-weather road connectivity to Lahaul and Pangi tribal valleys, will be named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as “Atal Tunnel”.

2. The foundation stone of the 8.9-km horse-shaped tunnel beneath Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft) was laid by Vajpayee in May 2002 and the tunnel is likely to be dedicated to the people by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by mid-2020.

3. One of the longest road tunnels in India at an elevation of 3,100 metres (10,171 ft), Rohtang tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Keylong by about 46 km and driving time by five hours.

4. The excavation of the tunnel completed in October 2017 when the blasting from south and north ends joined and the tunnel has been opened for emergency vehicles and rescue operation while final works are in progress.

5. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has thanked the Union Government for acceding to the request of the state government to name the Rohtang tunnel as ‘Atal Tunnel’as a mark of respect to the great leader, who had laid the foundation stone of this tunnel.

About Atal Tunnel :

Atal Tunnel (previously known as Rohtang Tunnel), named after India's Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is a highway tunnel being built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway. At 8.8 km (5.5 mi) length, the tunnel will be one of the longest road tunnels in India and is expected to reduce the distance between Manali and Keylong by about 46 km (28.6 mi).The tunnel is at an elevation of 3,100 metres (10,171 ft) whereas the Rohtang Pass is at an elevation of 3,978 metres (13,051 ft). The excavation of the tunnel completed in October 2017 when the blasting from south and north ends joined, and the completed tunnel will open in December 2019.

The Leh–Manali Highway, one of the two routes to Ladakh, will be routed through the tunnel in 2019. The Rohtang Pass receives heavy snowfall and blizzards during winter months and is open for road traffic for only four months in a year. The tunnel will keep the highway open during the winter. The other route to Leh is through the Zoji La pass on the Srinagar-Drass-Kargil-Leh highway which also gets blocked by snow for nearly four months in a year. Construction of a 14 km long tunnel under Zoji La pass has been planned. These two routes are vital to feed military supplies into military sub-sector in the west facing Aksai Chin and the Siachen Glacier.

The Atal Tunnel is not exactly under Rohtang pass; it is slightly west of the pass. The south entrance is north of Dhundi on the other side of the Beas River at 32.3642°N 77.1330°E.The northern end of the tunnel meets the existing Leh–Manali Highway near Teling village at 32.4388° North and 77.1642° East coordinates about 10 km west of Gramphu which is the first village after Rohtang Pass on the existing highway.