The Border Roads Organisation has claimed to have created history by driving its vehicles right up to the Amarnath cave after widening the pedestrian track that passes through rugged mountainous terrain from Baltal to the shrine.Many people have opposed the development, mostly on environmental grounds, with one critic saying the heat from vehicles might melt the ice Shivalinga.
According to BRO, the Project Beacon was tasked with the restoration and improvement of Amarnath Yatra tracks. After completion of the road, the BRO says that successful transportation of vehicles "marks a significant achievement for the BRO, as they aimed to reach the site before the onset of snowfall".The BRO has said that the road widening has been completed for nearly 13 kilometer's from the Sangam base to the cave shrine. Early this year, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the construction of 110 km-long Amarnath Marg leading to the holy Amarnath cave shrine in Pahalgam at a cost of approximately Rs 5,300 crore to enhance convenience of pilgrims.