One of the world’s most challenging engineering endeavors, the Atal Rohtang Pass highway tunnel is ready to open after ten years of hard work and struggle. The tunnel is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3. Here are some breathtaking images of the newly-constructed Atal Rohtang Tunnel.
A 10-Year-Long Dream
After a long struggle of almost 10 years, the longest high-altitude road tunnel is now ready.
World’s Longest Motorable TunnelThe 8.8-km-long horseshoe-shaped single-tube two-lane tunnel is the world’s longest motorable tunnel at over 3,000 metres above sea level. A Dream Project
The Rohtang tunnel – a dream of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and named after him posthumously – is going to be completed after 10 years of hard work of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), with an outlay of Rs 4,000 crore.
Reducing Travel Time
The tunnel will shorten the distance between Himachal Pradesh and Keylong.
It Will Help The Indian Army Access The LAC
The Rohtang Pass highway tunnel in the Himalayas is strategic as it will allow the Indian Army and its T-90 tanks and infantry combat vehicles, all-weather access to the Line of Actual Control, project engineers said on Friday.
Speed Limit
With a maximum speed limit of 80 km per hour, the tunnel is expected to see the traffic of 3,000 cars and 1,500 trucks a day.
Adopting The Latest Austrian Tunnelling Method
This tunnel excavated out 5,05,264 metric tonnes of soil and rocks by adopting the latest Austrian tunnelling method for construction.
A Lot Of Construction Material
The tunnel has consumed 12,252 metric tonnes of steel, 1,69,426 metric tonnes of cement and 1,01,336 metric tonnes of concrete.
A Marvel Of Engineering
This is one of the world’s most challenging engineering endeavors.
Joint Venture
The construction contract of the tunnel was awarded to Strabag-Afcons, a joint venture between India-based Afcons Infrastructure and Austria’s Strabag.