NHAI To Build 4-lane 85 Km-long Underground Highway In Himachal Pradesh

NHAI will also build 68 tunnels on various highways in Himachal Pradesh.

High-tech highways and expressways are now being constructed in the country. These include 8-lane, 4-lane and elevated expressways. The special thing about these expressways is that they are equipped with many other facilities like an automatic toll system. In Himachal Pradesh, an 85 km long four-lane road will be made underground.

For this four-lane project, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has received the necessary approval from the central government and the environment ministry. Many tunnels will be constructed on this 85 km-long highway.

The NHAI will construct 68 tunnels on various highways in Himachal Pradesh. Out of these, work on 11 tunnels has already been completed while work on 27 tunnels is still in progress. More than 50 per cent of the detailed project report for the construction of these four-lane highways has already been completed.

Last year, the Kiratpur-Manali highway in Kullu and Mandi was the most damaged due to the rain disaster in Himachal Pradesh. In addition, Pathankot-Mandi and Pinjore-Nalagarh were also affected by the disaster. Following the damages on these highways, NHAI received suggestions to construct tunnels after surveying the highways. On these suggestions, the NHAI has made preparations to convert most of the four-lane highways through tunnels.

By constructing these tunnels, the distance of all four-lane roads in the state will be reduced by 126 km and the travel time of passengers will be reduced by 13 hours. Also, traffic will not be affected due to snowfall and rain in Himachal. In Himachal, construction work is underway on Pathankot-Mandi, Kalka-Shimal, Shimla-Mataur, Kiratpur-Manali and Pinjore-Nalagarh national highways. 68 tunnels are being constructed on these highways. Of these, 28 tunnels are planned on the 41 km long Kiratpur-Manali highway.

Besides, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the longest underground road within the city of Mumbai in March. With a length of 3.93 kilometres, the Mumbai Coastal Road Project comprises two tunnels leading from the Princess Street Flyover to Priyadarshani Park.

The project posed special challenges in the design and execution of tunnel lighting. Equipped with advanced LED technology and intelligent control systems, the tunnels ensure excellent visibility, safety and energy savings.