Nagpur: The longest tunnel in Maharashtra has been constructed on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, which connects the country’s financial capital Mumbai with the state’s second capital Nagpur. Civil work of 7.78 km long double tunnel has been completed. The Mumbai-Nagpur Greenfield Expressway has been constructed by ‘AFCON’ at Vasala near Igatpuri on the border of Nashik and Thane districts.
The tunnel has been built using modern technology called the ‘New Australian Tunneling Method’. It has a lifespan of up to 100 years.
Of the six tunnels being built along the ‘Greenfield Expressway’, it is the longest and widest highway tunnel in Maharashtra. This 3-lane double tunnel is 7.78 km on the left and 7.74 km on the right and is 35 metres wide. At present, motorists take 20 to 25 minutes to cross the Kasara Ghat, but this tunnel will be able to cross the ghat in just 5 to 6 minutes.
The work of the pucca road inside the ‘Twin Tunnel’ has now been completed. Now the work of installing electric lights, fans etc. is yet to be done. It too will be completed soon.
The tunnels on Samruddhi Mahamarg have been constructed in such a way that they can last for 100 years. The speed limit of vehicles on this highway is more than 120 kmph. The tunnel was built using modern technology called the ‘New Australian Tunneling Method’, also known as the ‘design as you go’ method.
Work on this important tunnel continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were many challenges to be faced while working. This work is being accomplished by expert engineers and about 2000 employees.
The Green Expressway to be built at a cost of about Rs 55,000 crore on Samruddhi Mahamarg will pass through 10 districts of the state. These include Thane, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Jalna, Aurangabad, Buldhana, Washim, Amravati, Wardha and Nagpur. Expressway petrol, CNG pumps, electric chargers, hotels etc. are also being built.
