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India has set a new benchmark in high-altitude infrastructure with the construction of the world’s highest motorable road in eastern Ladakh. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has laid a route across Mig La Pass at an altitude of 19,400 feet (5,913 metres), overtaking the agency’s own record at Umling La. The road, part of the Likaru-Mig La-Fukche alignment, links the Hanle region with Fukche village near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The feat was executed under Project Himank by a team led by Brigadier Vishal Srivastava. To mark the completion, the Indian national flag and the BRO flag were hoisted at the windswept pass.
At 19,400 feet, Mig La Pass is taller than both the South Base Camp of Mount Everest in Nepal (17,598 feet) and the North Base Camp in Tibet (16,900 feet). The earlier record-holder, Umling La, stands at 19,024 feet.
The achievement was highlighted by the Indian Army in a post on X, underscoring both the engineering challenge and its impact for border communities.
Constructing a road at such an elevation is far from routine. Temperatures plummet well below freezing, oxygen levels drop to nearly half of those at sea level, and the terrain is marked by loose soil and icy winds. Engineers worked through snowstorms and unpredictable weather to complete the route, overcoming both technical and physiological hurdles.
The BRO said the new road is expected to ease life for residents in Hanle and Fukche, who often face long isolation during harsh winters. The alignment is also likely to improve year-round access, shorten travel times, and allow movement of essential supplies.
NDTV
