Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday termed the breakthrough in the Silkyara bend-Barkot road tunnel a historic milestone, saying this transformative tunnel will save one hour of travel time.

The breakthrough in the Silkyara bend-Barkot road tunnel, where 41 workers were trapped for over two weeks in 2023, was achieved on Wednesday, with the excavation from both sides completed.

A ceremony was held to mark the breakthrough. The day also saw the consecration ceremony of the Baba Baukhnag temple at the mouth of the tunnel.

The two ceremonies were attended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

He said the labourers trapped inside the tunnel in 2023 could be rescued due to the blessings of Baba Baukhnag, and steps will be taken to rename the tunnel after the deity.

"Historical Breakthrough! Today marks a historic milestone with the successful breakthrough of Uttarakhand’s 4.531 km Silkyara Tunnel — an engineering marvel under the #ChardhamMahamarg project," Gadkari said in a social media post.

This transformative tunnel will save 1 hour of travel time, ensure seamless Gangotri–Yamunotri connectivity and provide all-weather access for pilgrims, the minister added.

The 4.531-km tunnel is vital from the point of view of the Char Dham Yatra. The two-lane and two-directional tunnel is being built at a cost of about Rs 853 crore.

The workers were trapped after a portion of the under-construction tunnel collapsed on November 12, 2023. They were rescued on November 28.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)