India’s Border Roads Organisation on Thursday said it had constructed the world’s highest motorable road in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region. The 86-km stretch was built under Project Himank at over 19,300 feet, PTI reported.

The road connects the villages of Chisumle and Demchok, located 230 km from Leh, and goes through Umling La. These villages are a stone’s throw away from India’s border with China, a BRO spokesperson said.

Chief Engineer of Project Himank Brigadier DM Purvimath felicitated BRO troopers for completing the task under harsh climatic conditions. “Efficiency of machines and manpower declines by 50% due to the harsh climate and less oxygen level,” he said, adding that even in peak summer, the temperature is around minus 10 to 20 degrees Celsius.

The Khardangu La pass in Ladakh at 17,900 ft and Chang La pass at 17,695 ft were both constructed under Project Himank. Before the Umlingla Pass road, the road to the Uturuncu dormant volcano in Bolivia was believed to be the world’s highest motorable road at 18,953 ft.