New Delhi, March 27 : Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has connected the strategic 298-km Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh, linking Manali to Leh through Darcha and Nimmu on the Kargil-Leh Highway.

The road is now the third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh which connects Ladakh to the hinterland, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road derives its strategic importance from the fact that it is not only shorter vis-a-vis the other two axes, but crosses only one pass; Shinkun La (16,558 feet) on which tunnel work is about to commence by the BRO. This will result in the road having all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region, the ministry said.

The connectivity will strengthen the defence preparedness and provide a boost to the economic development in the Zanskar valley, it added.

DG Border Roads Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan said that in January, when the River Zansakar was frozen, the equipment and personnel were mobilised and the work of establishing the connectivity was completed. He exuded confidence that the work on blacktopping the road will start soon.

With the construction of the Shinkun La tunnel commencing, the third all-weather axis to Ladakh will be established, he added.

/IANS