Shounter-Rattu Tunnel: Why Pakistan’s Impossible Project Could Fail

Pakistan's proposed Shounter Tunnel could transform travel between Neelum Valley and Gilgit-Baltistan. But the proposed 12.7 KM tunnel route faces one extraordinary challenge: 12 geological fault crossings. Can engineers build a reliable mountain highway through such difficult terrain? In this BigThings247 engineering documentary, we explore the Shounter–Rattu Tunnel project, the original 81.1 KM Kel–Gorikot corridor design, and the technical challenges beneath Pakistan's northern mountains. Discover why engineers studied different tunnel alignments, how groundwater and rock pressure complicate excavation, and why ventilation, drainage, emergency systems and road maintenance matter as much as construction itself. We also examine changing project proposals and the difference between a planned infrastructure project and a completed operational highway. The tunnel and road plans discussed are proposals and engineering-study findings, not footage of a completed Shounter Tunnel. What do you think will be the biggest challenge: geology, construction costs or long-term maintenance? Share your thoughts in the comments and subscribe to *@bigthings247* for more documentaries about the world's largest engineering projects. *Big Things — How they're built. How they're run. How they fail.* #ShounterTunnel #PakistanEngineering #MegaProjects #GilgitBaltistan #BigThings247