Strategically-important Sela Tunnel, connecting Tawang with the rest of the country, to open this week

The tunnel, situated at 13,000 feet along the China border, faced delays due to extended winters and concreting challenges. However, once operational, it will significantly reduce travel time by an hour and distance by 6km, facilitating swift deployment in border areas and ensuring all-weather connectivity.

The strategically important Sela Tunnel that connects Arunachal Pradesh’s border town Tawang with the rest of the country, is all set to be inaugurated within a week. Sources in the government establishment said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the tunnel during his visit to the state on March 9. Situated at 13,000 feet in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district along the China border in Arunachal Pradesh, the Sela tunnel was supposed to be completed by April 2023 after missing two deadlines --- June 2022 and November 2023.

Once it becomes operational, the travelling time will be reduced by an hour and the distance by 6km. The tunnel would allow the rapid deployment of men and machines to forward areas in the Tawang and Bum La. It will also provide all-weather connectivity to locals and transporters.

The delays were caused due to the extended winter seasons and concreting work inside the tunnel. Cloudbursts and landslides during the rainy season in the area also contributed to delaying the project.

Situated in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district, the Sela project has two tunnels. The first tunnel is a 980-meter-long single tube tunnel while the second one is a 1555-meter-long twin tube tunnel. 

Tunnel 2 has one bi-lane tube for traffic and one escape tube for emergencies. It will be one of the longest tunnels to have been built at an altitude of over 13,000 feet. 

An approach road of 7 km to Tunnel 1 is also a part of the project. It starts from Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang (BCT) Road and a link road of 1.3 km, which connects Tunnel 1 to Tunnel 2.

The project was announced in 2018 and launched in 2019 by Modi. The Sela tunnel is the second-longest two-lane tunnel built at over 13,000 feet. The other one is in China-controlled Tibet. The project, which cost Rs 700 crore, will see passage of around 4000 vehicles every day, including military vehicles.