Tunnel excavation on Barog bypass completed

Ambika Sharma

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Solan, December 17

A major breakthrough was achieved by GR Infraprojects (GRI) Limited in successfully carving out a 924 m tunnel as both ends met through a final blast in its 2.5-m stretch on the Barog bypass today.

The tunnel will reduce the distance on the Parwanoo-Solan stretch of National Highway-22 by 3.5 km. The tunnel has helped in conserving green cover on at least two to three hectares of land. The tunneling work, which began in June 2016, was accomplished with zero injury where 35 engineers and the support staff toiled hard round the clock. A cost of Rs 85 crore to Rs 100 crore has been incurred on this tunnel.

The latest technology using Austrian tunnelling method has been used for the first time in Himachal to bore this tunnel whose completion will take another year. Works like ventilation, lining, etc., will be undertaken in the remaining time. Being a one-way tunnel, it would facilitate commuters travelling downhill from Shimla. The tunnel width varied from 11.78 m to 13.34m.

GRI Chief Executive Officer Sameer Nagrani said the Himalayan ecology posed several challenges due to the fragile rock structure requiring a high-level of preparedness. He said with little stand-up time available to put in place support structures once a site was excavated, the staff was on its toes to meet all eventualities.

Various unforeseen factors contributed to the delay in its completion. The officials, however, hoped that the remaining work would be completed within a year.

This was the first tunnel on this highway which was carved out for a road as the highway already has 102 tunnels of varying dimension.