Pilgrims can hope to have all-weather access to Yamunotri, one of the 'Char Dhams', about four years from now.
The Union Cabinet has cleared the proposal for a tunnel between Silkyara Bend and Barkot on the Dharasu-Yamunotri section in Uttarakhand.
To be built on the engineering, procurement and construction mode, the Rs 1,383.78 crore project will be funded by the ministry of road transport and highways, through the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation.
It forms part of the government's ambitious Char Dham plan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the Char Dham Highway Project in Dehradun over a year ago, and said the aim was to improve connectivity between Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.
The tunnel will also provide a boost for regional socio-economic development, trade and tourism, and is expected to reduce the distance by about 20km and cut an hour in terms of travel time.
The tunnel will be a little over 4.5km long, will have two lanes and have escape passages.