The Central government has recently cleared Kargil-Gurez highway project with a length of 350-km and has asked the ministry of road transport and highways to prepare a detailed project report for the construction of the mega road project. Involving an investment of ₹11000 crore, the proposed highway will cover treacherous terrains and in the long run will give a ―fillip to socio-economic status of the masses living in mountainous Kargil and Gurez areas, sources in the J&K public works department said, elaborating that Kargil district in Ladakh region and Gurez Valley in Bandipora district remain closed during winter months due to heavy snowfall, causing immense hardships to the inhabitants. The total length of this new road along the border will have nine tunnels which will be constructed through mountainous areas. Prior to this, the state government had forwarded the Kargil-Gurez highway proposal to the government of India for funding. Apart from snowy landscape, three places along the road including Dragbal, Zadkhusan and Kanzalwan are landslide-prone and hamper traffic movement, they claimed.
