On the road towards Tawang, Sela Tunnel changed how traffic crossed a mountain obstacle. Vehicles gained a protected route through the high ground instead of relying entirely on the exposed pass above. Narendra Modi inaugurated the BRO project on 9 March 2024; the Defence Ministry put its cost at ₹825 crore. [1]
Its importance came from its position on an existing road. The Balipara–Chariduar–Tawang corridor carries civilian traffic and military supplies into western Arunachal Pradesh. A more dependable crossing at Sela strengthens that route, although the rest of the journey still depends on roads outside the tunnel. The project addressed a particular bottleneck in a much longer connection. [1]
Two tunnels, and a way out
The familiar singular name conceals a more elaborate scheme. A January 2022 construction record described a 980-metre first tunnel and a 1,555-metre second tunnel. The latter included a two-lane traffic tube and a separate escape tube for emergencies. Approach and connecting roads joined the underground sections to the older corridor. [2]
An escape passage is an important distinction from another traffic lane. Its purpose is to provide a route away from an emergency inside the longer tunnel. The project’s design therefore concerned what happens when traffic cannot continue normally, as well as how to carry it through the mountain. [2]
The foundation stone was laid in February 2019, and construction began that April. The protected crossing that opened five years later was an addition to the pre-existing route, delivered by BRO through a sustained tunnelling effort. [1]
Breakthrough was not the opening
The final excavation blast took place on 22 January 2022. The official announcement explicitly marked the end of excavation across the project. It did not announce a road ready for ordinary traffic. Cutting a passage through rock was one stage in creating an operating tunnel. [2]
A September 2022 inspection report recorded lining and electrical and mechanical work still underway. These installations turn the excavated space into infrastructure that can be operated and maintained. The interval between breakthrough and the March 2024 inauguration matters: counting the earlier ceremony as completion would move the service milestone forward by more than two years. [3] [1]
Beyond the portals
The weather did not stop at the tunnel entrance. On 29 January 2025, vehicles collided and skidded on an icy road nearby, according to The Arunachal Times. Its report described snow on the Sela–Jang stretch and repeated district traffic advisories. No casualties were reported. The incident concerned the road outside, rather than a failure of the tunnel structure. [4]
In May 2026, the same newspaper reported a landslide on the approach near Tunnel 1. BRO crews worked to clear the blockage and restored a route for traffic. The reopening showed both the usefulness of the connection and the continuing labour required to keep its approaches available. [5]
These accounts cannot supply a measured annual reduction in closures or a reliable average saving for every journey. They show why an all-weather tunnel and a road free from every weather interruption are different things. A vehicle emerging from the protected crossing still enters the mountains; crews beyond the portals remain part of the infrastructure. [4] [5]