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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Samruddhi's defining feat is India's widest 8-km twin tunnel through the Ghats
An important element of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, whose final stretch was formally inaugurated on Thursday, is an 8-kilometre-long twin tunnel, the widest and fourth longest road tunnel in India, constructed by boring through tonnes of solid rock in the Western Ghats. Commuters currently using the Mumbai-Nashik Expressway must navigate the winding roads of Kasara Ghat. The stretch from Kasara to Igatpuri, covering 19 km, typically takes around 30 minutes, with vehicles climbing steep slopes through sharp bends. A Dream Turns into Reality… CM Devendra Fadnavis enjoyed a drive on the 'Hinduhrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg' along with DCM Eknath Shinde and DCM Ajit Pawar. This visionary project, and brainchild of CM Devendra Fadnavis himself, stands as a… — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 5, 2025 The new twin tunnels, however, eliminates this strenuous journey. This twin-tube road tunnel, 8 kilometres in length and 17.61 metres in width, is the widest road tunnel in the country and the fourth longest by length. It reaches a height of 9.12 metres and allows traffic to bypass the steep Kasara Ghat, reducing travel time between Kasara and Igatpuri to just eight minutes. According to MSRDC officials, the tunnel was constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), which involved excavation through solid rock. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns between March 2020 and May 2021, the tunnelling work was completed within two years in October 2023. Along with the tunnel, 17 valley type that span 10.56 km, 21.12 km for both lanes, were also built. The longest among them is 2.28 km, which is located just after the Igatpuri tunnel ends towards the Mumbai side. To make these viaducts, engineers needed to construct piers up to 84 metres high, all this with the persistent challenges of hard rock formations in the valley and adverse weather conditions. The construction in narrow and windy valleys under monsoon conditions added safety issues for workmen, which was an additional responsibility for the MSRDC and other stakeholders. 'Excavations 40 metres deep were needed in many places and the high wind velocities made working on higher levels extremely risky. But by exacting engineering and severe safety guidelines, the constructions were finished on time,' a senior MSRDC official told The Indian Express. K Mallikharjuna Rao, business unit head, Hydro and Underground at Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, who carried out the work on the tunnel and viaduct for package 14 of the greenfield expressway said, 'We faced unprecedented rainfall that took a toll on our tunnel construction as well as impeded our efforts at Viaduct-II. Due to heavy showers and dense fog, visibility remained an issue. However, we used the best safety practices to enable a safe work environment.' Apart from the engineering marvel, the last phase has three new interchanges at Igatpuri, Khutghar and Amane facilitating regional connectivity for passenger as well as freight traffic. The opening of this section now makes the entire 701 km Samruddhi Mahamarg corridor open for public, putting Nagpur and Mumbai on an eight hour driving distance from each other.
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Khurda Road-Balangir New Line Project: Tunnel breakthrough complete on key Odisha rail link, ET Infra
Advt The breakthrough of all seven tunnels along the 75-km stretch between Daspalla and Purunakatak of the Khurda Road-Balangir new line project has been completed. East Coast Railway (ECoR) sources said tunnel number 2 - measuring 1,775 metres with a 2-degree curve - is the second longest among the project's tunnels and was constructed using the advanced New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). The final breakthrough of the tunnel was completed on May 30."Constructing the tunnels in the hilly terrains amid several challenges is an achievement," said ECoR in a data revelaed that the total tunnel length of this new line project is 12.76 km. Nayagarh district has three tunnels while Boudh district has four tunnels.
The Print
4 days ago
- Business
- The Print
Odisha: Breakthrough of final tunnel on Khurda Road-Balangir rail line achieved
Tunnel No 2 (T2), with a length of 1,775 metres with a 2-degree curve, has been constructed in a new technological method called New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), the statement said. The breakthrough, or 'daylighting', was successfully achieved on Friday, marking the completion of excavation work across all seven planned tunnels in this strategic railway corridor, it said. Bhubaneswar, Jun 1 (PTI) The Khurda Road-Balangir new rail line project achieved a major milestone with the successful breakthrough of the final tunnel located between Buguda and Daspalla in Odisha's Nayagarh district, the East Coast Railway said in a statement. The ECoR said that T2 is the second-longest tunnel in Nayagarh district. It was constructed using advanced technology and tunnelling methods to overcome the challenging Eastern Ghats, setting a new benchmark in infrastructure execution for Indian Railways. With the completion of T2, the breakthrough of all seven tunnels in the 75-km stretch between Daspalla and Purunakatak has now been achieved, it said. The total length of all seven tunnels is 12.76 km, of which three tunnels are located in Nayagarh district and the remaining four in Boudh district. Construction of these tunnels involved tackling multiple complex challenges including highly variable soil and rock conditions and passing through wild zones, the statement added. The new railway line project spans 301 km and significant portions of the project — Khurda Road to Daspalla (106 km) and Balangir to Purunakatak (120 km) have been completed while the remaining stretch of 75 km from Purunakatak to Adhenigarh is under progress, it said. Completion of the final segment will establish seamless railway connectivity between eastern and western Odisha, bringing extensive benefits to both passenger and freight traffic. Once fully operational, the railway line will reduce travel time between Bhubaneswar and Balangir, improve access to education, healthcare, and markets, stimulate trade and regional development, and support freight movement across Odisha and beyond, the statement added. PTI BBM BBM ACD This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hans India
11-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Govt approves final survey for new railway line in Sikkim
Aiming to use rail connectivity for promoting tourism and generating employment in north-eastern states, the Railway Ministry has approved the final location survey for a proposed line from Melli to Dentam in Sikkim, said an official on Sunday. The proposed railway line, via Jorethang and Legship, promises to extend rail connectivity to western and southern regions of Sikkim and boost tourism and economic activities, he said. The proposed line, with an estimated length of 75 km as per the preliminary feasibility assessment, will improve connectivity as part of a strategic continuation of the ongoing Sivok-Rangpo railway project. The Sivok-Rangpo railway project is one of the crucial connectivity projects for the northeastern region and is expected to be completed by 2027. According to the Northeast Frontier Railway's website, the work for the Sivok-Rangpo project is going on in full swing to establish a railway connection between Sikkim and the rest of the country. The total length of the Sivok-Rangpo rail line project is 44.96 Km (41.55 km in West Bengal and 3.41 km in Sikkim). Out of the total length of 44.96 km, 38.623 km (86 per cent) is in the form of tunnels, 2.24 km (5 per cent) in Bridges and 4.79 km (9 per cent) in open cutting/filling of station yards. An official said the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) has been adopted for the construction of tunnelling works. The proposed line consists of 14 tunnels, with the longest tunnel of 5.30 km long and the shortest tunnel being 538 metres long. There are 13 major bridges and 10 minor bridges in the project. The project includes the construction of five stations -- Sivok, Riyang, Melli, Rangpo and one underground halt station, viz. Teesta Bazar. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 12,474 crore, according to the Northeast Frontier Railway's website. This is one of the prestigious ongoing National projects in India, and on completion of this project, first time, the state of Sikkim will be connected via railways. Once completed, this project will ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities in Sikkim. It will also be possible to introduce long-distance train services from Sikkim to various parts of the country. Tourism and economic activities of the state will also get a great boost.
India.com
27-04-2025
- Business
- India.com
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train BIG Update, project likely to be completed by..., top speed to be...
New Delhi: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project promises to give a major boost to India's transportation sector. The project is steadily progressing, bringing India's high-speed rail ambitions closer to reality. According to the reports, the project witnessed a significant milestones across Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Maharashtra along the 508 km corridor. Out of the total length, 293 km of viaduct construction has been completed. Pier works now cover 375 km, while pier foundation work spans 394 km. Girder casting has reached 320 km, indicating strong momentum. Structural work is complete at six of eight planned stations in Gujarat, with track bed construction advancing along 143 km of the viaduct. More than 3 lakh noise barriers have been installed over a 150 km stretch to minimize operational noise. According to the reports, the river crossings have also seen rapid progress. Bridges across 14 rivers, including Par, Purna, Mindhola, and Ambika, are now completed. Additionally, seven steel bridges and five PSC (pre-stressed concrete) bridges have been built, boosting overall connectivity. Progress has been made on the tunnel work between Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata. Approximately 3.3 km of tunneling has been completed using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). Additionally, the Vikhroli and Sawli shafts have reached significant depths of 56 meters and 39 meters, respectively. In Maharashtra's Palghar district, seven mountain tunnels are currently under construction. Work on Mumbai's bullet train station is gaining pace. Excavation for the base slab is around 75% complete, with 25,000 cubic meters of concrete already poured. Meanwhile, overhead equipment mast (OHE) installation has begun between Surat and Bilimora stations, covering approximately 2 km of viaduct. With this steady pace, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train — India's first — is on course to redefine travel with speed, efficiency, and world-class infrastructure.
