Longest tunnel on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway nearing completion
What's the story
The longest tunnel on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is nearing completion.
The eight-lane tunnel, the first of its kind in the country, passes through the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Rajasthan.
It consists of two parallel tubes, each 4.9km long, with a 3.3km underground section and the remaining 1.6km being constructed using the cut-and-cover method.
Milestone achieved
Completion of Tube-1 marks significant progress
Engineers and workers celebrated the completion of Tube-1, which connects Kota to Chechat.
A senior official of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) confirmed that only 60 meters of excavation remains in Tube-2 (Chechat to Kota).
This work is expected to be completed within a month, marking a major milestone in the construction process.
Tunnel specifications
Advanced features and safety measures planned
The tunnel will be equipped with state-of-the-art systems, including AI-based monitoring, lighting and sensors, pollution control systems, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).
Officials have set a target to complete the tunnel's construction by December 2025.
Following the excavation, modifications will be made to expand the tunnel's width from nine to 19 meters and its height from eight to 11 meters.