Ladakh’s Mig La Pass overtakes Umling La as world’s highest motorable road

India’s Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completed the construction of a road at Mig La Pass (5,913 m / 19,400 ft) earlier this month, officially setting a new Guinness World Record for the world’s highest motorable road. The new route surpasses the former record-holder, Umling La (19,024 ft), and further cements India’s position as the country with the world’s highest roads. The Likaru-Mig La-Fukche road, built under Project Himank, links Hanle with the border village of Fukche near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Beyond its record-breaking status, the road is expected to greatly benefit local residents, who have historically faced isolation during severe winter months.

Constructing a road at 19,400 ft posed immense logistical and environmental challenges. Machinery and manpower had to operate in conditions where oxygen levels are nearly half those at sea level, with sub-zero temperatures, high winds, and unpredictable rocky terrain adding to the difficulty.

According to BRO, its teams, led by Brigadier Vishal Srivastava, worked during narrow windows of favourable weather to ensure progress. The completion of the route was marked by raising the Indian national flag at the pass, a symbolic testament to human and engineering resilience in extreme conditions.

Mig La replaces Umling La as the world’s highest road

India has historically held the title for the world’s highest motorable road. For decades, Khardung La (18,380 ft) in Ladakh held the record until BRO built Umling La (19,024 ft) in 2020-21. That record stood for four years until the Mig La route now set the benchmark at 19,400 ft.

Value beyond Guiness title

While the Mig La road is a record-breaker, its value goes beyond the Guinness title. The route provides all-season access to remote border regions of Ladakh, reducing isolation during harsh winters, shortening transit times, and enabling efficient transport of essential supplies. From a national security perspective, the road enhances India’s ability to mobilise resources along the LAC quickly and effectively. It is a critical infrastructure addition in a strategically sensitive region, strengthening both logistics and surveillance capabilities.

A milestone for Project Himank

Project Himank, BRO’s flagship initiative in Ladakh, has been responsible for building some of the most challenging roads in the world. The completion of the Mig La route demonstrates the engineering prowess, strategic foresight, and perseverance of the BRO teams operating at the extremes of human and machine endurance. With Mig La now officially the world’s highest motorable road, it is set to become a symbol of India’s engineering excellence and a lifeline for communities and defence operations in the high Himalayas.