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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel project on March 9, 2024, during his day-long visit to Arunachal Pradesh. The Sela Tunnel has been a long-awaited mega-project and is the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel providing crucial all-weather connectivity to the strategic Tawang region and other forward areas bordering China near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Sela Tunnel has been built with a total cost of ₹825 crore by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The tunnel is located at an altitude of 13,700 feet in the West Kameng district connecting Tezpur to Tawang. Previously, the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang road was the only major connector to this part of the country with challenges including heavy snowfall and landslides, depending on the weather conditions. This is particularly important during the winter season when access to the region is limited.
The Sela Tunnel comprises two tunnels and a link road. Tunnel 1 is a 980-metre-long single-tube tunnel, while Tunnel 2 is a 1,555-metre-long twin-tube tunnel. The second tunnel comes with one bi-lane tube, one for traffic and the other for emergency services. The link road between both tunnels spans 1,200 metres. The tunnel will help move troops, weapons, and machinery quickly along the Sino-India border.
The foundation stone for the Sela Tunnel was laid on February 9, 2019, and the project took 90 lakh man-hours with an average of 650 workers to complete the same in a period of five years. The Sela Tunnel has been constructed using the new Austrian Tunnelling method. The tunnel also incorporates a host of modern features including jet fan ventilation, firefighting equipment and SCADA-controlled monitoring for efficiency and safety.