evidence: Built at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the 10.89 km tunnel cuts the travel distance between Jammu and Srinagar by about 40 kilometres, and save over 2 hours travel time as it bypass snow- and landslide-prone Kud, Patnitop and Batote on National Highway 44. According to estimates, it also promises fuel savings of over Rs 27 lakh per day and also provide better connectivity to people in Kishtwar, Doda and Bhaderwah in the Jammu region. The work on the twin-tube tunnel, which is part of National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI’s) 286-km-long four-lane project on the highway, started on May 23, 2011, in the lower Himalayan mountain range. The project forms part of the proposed widening of NH-44 (old NH-1A) from Jammu to Srinagar. Hailed as an engineering marvel, this marks significant roadbuilding firsts in India, including an unprecedented stress on user safety. Amongst its host of intelligent road tunnel features are: Integrated traffic control system, Entrance Detection Control System, Active Firefighting System, Electronic Surveillance System, Evacuative Broadcast System, Tunnel Ventilation System