About
The Sela Tunnel is a twin-tube highway tunnel system under the 4,170 m Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh, providing the first all-weather road access to the Tawang district — strategically vital because of Tawang's location adjacent to the disputed McMahon Line with China.
The two tunnels — Tunnel 1 (980 m) and Tunnel 2 (1,555 m, of which 980 m is the main tunnel + 1,200 m approach with link road) — together cut 8 km off the previous switchback route over the pass and eliminate the 5-month winter closure that previously isolated Tawang. The combined system is the world's longest highway tunnel above 13,000 ft altitude.
Border Roads Organisation executed the project under Project SEWAK between 2019 and 2024 at ₹825 crore. The tunnels are NATM-excavated through highly fractured Himalayan rock with reinforced concrete lining and a parallel emergency egress tube. Inauguration was performed by Prime Minister Modi on 9 March 2024.
Strategically, the tunnel allows Indian Army convoys to reach Tawang in 4 hours from Tezpur (Assam) instead of the previous 8-9 hours, and ensures continuous logistical supply through the winter — a critical capability after the 2022 Tawang clashes. Local economic impact includes year-round tourism and agricultural transport for the Monpa community.
Cross-references
7Indian Standards, IRC codes, and InfraLens knowledge articles that bear on this project's design and execution. Each link opens the relevant reference page.
Related calculators
3InfraLens calculators most relevant for tunnel projects.
Notable features
- World's longest highway tunnel above 13,000 ft altitude
- Twin-tube system: 980 m + 1,555 m
- Reduces Tezpur-Tawang travel from 8-9 hrs to 4 hrs
- Year-round road access to Tawang district (previously 5-month winter closure)
- Strategic Indian Army logistics route to Sino-Indian border
- Built at 4,170 m altitude in extreme cold + heavy snowfall conditions