The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which is considered to be one of the best freeways in the country, will soon add another feather to its cap —the longest tunnel in the state.
If things go according to the plans of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the 92-km-long expressway will have the second biggest road tunnel in the country after the Rohtang Pass. The tunnel, which will be approximately 6 to 8km long, will come up between Khopoli and Lonavla. The 9km-long tunnel in Rohtang Pass is the longest road tunnel in India.
Confirming the development, a senior official of the MSRDC said the tunnel would be a part of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway expansion programme. “We have received tenders from five consortiums of consultants for the project. The final consultant will be decided within a fortnight. The consultant will get permission from various departments, including the department of surface transport, department of environment and forests as well as the National Highway Authority of India.
The consultant will also have to deal with disposal of huge amount of muck that will be generated during the construction of tunnel,” said the official. While the consultant will take about a year to get all the permissions,
the total project period is expected to be approximately four years.
As per the project details, the old Mumbai-Pune road (NH-4) will be widened from four lanes to six lanes. “Besides this, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway will be expanded from six lanes to eight lanes. At present, there are certain sections where both the NH-4 and the Expressway is a common road. This creates traffic snarls on many occasions. The tunnel will solve this problem,” said the official.
The tunnel, which is a huge challenge due to its length, will have to be constructed using the drill and blast method.
In the past, the MSRDC had hired Konkan Railways to construct the existing tunnels on the Expressway. The tunnel in Rohtang Pass is 9km long.
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