(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- The central government is making fresh efforts to move forward with two long-awaited tunnel projects in Jammu and Kashmir: the Singhpora Vailoo Tunnel and the Sudhmahadev–Dranga Tunnel.

The renewed push comes as part of a recent ₹10,000 crore package for infrastructure in the region, which also includes key projects like the Sadhna Tunnel and the Mughal Road Tunnel.

In the past, there were rumours that the Singhpora Vailoo and Sudhmahadev tunnel projects had been scrapped. At the time, Kashmir Observer reported that the claims were false.

Official replies to Right to Information (RTI) requests and a written assurance from the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways to the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir confirmed that the projects were still being actively considered.

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Now, new reports from Infra Today say the two tunnel proposals are expected to come up in the next Public Investment Board (PIB) meeting, where they may finally get financial approval.

The Singhpora Vailoo Tunnel is planned to connect Kishtwar and Anantnag. Once built, it would offer an all-weather route and reduce travel time, a major relief for people who currently face road closures during harsh winters. The Sudhmahadev–Dranga Tunnel would connect Chenani with Khilani, improving road access to the remote Doda region, where landslides often block existing roads.

People living in the Chenab Valley and parts of south Kashmir have been asking for these tunnels for years. Seasonal isolation and poor road infrastructure have made travel difficult, cutting communities off from each other and from essential services.

If the PIB gives its financial nod, both projects could finally move from the drawing board to the ground, bringing much-needed development and easing travel across some of Jammu and Kashmir's most difficult terrains.

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