This project covers the rehabilitation and upgradation to a 2-lane road with paved shoulder from Km 30.000 to Km 49.150 (Design Chainage Km 30.000 to Km 46.450) on the Akhnoor–Poonch Road (NH-144A) in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, executed under Package-I on EPC mode as part of Project Sampark by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). A defining feature of this project is the design and construction of the Kandi Tunnel, a 260-metre tunnel with full approaches, engineered to bypass a geologically unstable and terrain-obstructed section of the highway.

The Akhnoor–Poonch corridor holds immense strategic importance as it connects the Jammu region to the sensitive Poonch district along the Line of Control (LoC), serving as a lifeline for military logistics, border area development, and civilian mobility. The tunnel and associated upgradation works will ensure all-weather operability of this critical route, eliminating seasonal road closures caused by landslides and snow, while significantly reducing travel time and improving safety standards under the 13 Task Force of the BRO, which operates tirelessly to maintain and develop border infrastructure across challenging Himalayan conditions.