In Ladakh, construction for world’s new highest motorable road begins. Details

On Independence Day, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) began the construction of the world’s new highest motorable road in Ladakh’s Demchok sector.

The strategic road, ‘Likaru-Mig La-Fukche’, will be constructed over the next two working seasons and will pass through an altitude of about 19,400 feet, the highest anywhere in the world.

Key details about the project:

1) The 64-km-long road will provide connectivity to the military’s farthest outposts in the sensitive sector Fukche. This holds significance for security purposes as Fukche lies three km from the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC).

2) With this project, the BRO will break its own record of the highest motorable road. “On the occasion of 77th Independence Day @BROindia starts construction on yet another strategic road, Road Likaru-Mig La-Fukche. This road will pass through an altitude of 19,400 feet and will be the world’s highest motorable road surpassing the Umling La Pass,” the BRO said on X (formerly Twitter).

3) Currently, the world’s existing highest motorable road at Umling La in Ladakh is at an altitude of 19,024 feet.

4) Reportedly, an all-woman unit of the BRO began the construction of the Likaru-Mig La-Fukche road. A five-member team of women combat engineers headed by Colonel Ponung Doming is supervising the road construction.

5) The BRO will also take up two key projects. These include the Shinku La tunnel connecting Manali through Zanskar to Leh, which will also set a record on its completion surpassing the record held by China’s MiLa tunnel. Additionally, the BRO is also working on the construction of ‘Nyoma Airfield’, located 30 km in aerial distance in Eastern Ladakh. When completed, it will be one of the highest airfields in the world, the organisation’s chief Lt General Rajeev Chaudhry said.