India’s longest road tunnel all set to ease travel in J&K

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...-set-to-ease-travel-in-jk/article17529661.ece
PTI
Chenani (Udhampur) March 18, 2017 23:24 IST Updated: March 18, 2017 23:24 IST

Ready to run: The tunnel will be equipped with a world-class control system. File photo shows the work at Udhampur.


The 9.2-km tube will save 2.5 hours on Jammu-Srinagar trip
India’s longest road tunnel, built on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, will open to traffic very soon following the success of the trial run.

The work on the 9.2-km tube tunnel, which is part of a 286-km, four-lane project, started on May 23, 2011 in the lower Himalayan mountain range and cost ₹3,720 crore, officials said.

Elevation of 1,200 m

The tunnel, which is located at an elevation of 1,200 metre, will be the first in India to be equipped with the world-class integrated tunnel control system, through which ventilation, fire control, signals, communication and electrical systems will be automatically actuated.

The tunnel will reduce the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by two-and-a-half hours. The road distance from Chenani and Nashri will now be 10.9 km, instead of the present 41 km, officials said.

“The formal trial run was successfully completed for peak and off-peak hours between March 9 and March 15,” J.S. Rathore Project Director, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), told PTI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the highway tunnel by month-end.

 

[navtrek]

thats a very good job done there. Hope to see more such projects all over India helps national integration.

 

[egodoc222]

http://m.ndtv.com/india-news/indias...pen-to-traffic-soon-1670920?pfrom=home-health
Chenani, Udhampur: India's longest surface tunnel at Chenani in Jammu's Udhampur district is complete. The 9-km-long tunnel passes through the Himalayas on Jammu- Srinagar National Highway and will be open to traffic soon following successful completion of trial run. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the highway tunnel by the end of March. "The tunnel will be formally thrown open to general vehicular traffic after the inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon," said J S Rathore, Project Director Chenani Nashiri Tunnelway Ltd.

It has taken nearly six years for the project's completion, since the work started in May 2011 in the lower Himalayan mountain range. The twin-tube tunnel, at an elevation of 1,200 metres and part of a 286-km-long four-lane project on the highway, has been built at a cost of over Rs 3,720 crore.

http://www.magiccrate.in/?utm_sourc...ign=Whitelist_Mobile&utm_term=ndtv-ndtvmobile
Sponsored Content by TaboolaEngage Your 2-12 Year-Old In The Most Productive WayMagic Crate




It will be a significant time saver reducing the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 30 kilometres and will make it easy for tourists to reach the Valley. "The tunnel has saved the travel time by three to four hours, we are very happy, I am going through the tunnel for the first time," said Nisar Ahmad, a truck driver.

Travel will cost a Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) Rs 55 on one side and Rs 85 for to-and-fro journey and Rs 1,870 for a month's travel, while bigger vehicles like mini buses will have pay Rs 90 as one side toll and Rs 135 for to-and-fro toll. Buses and trucks will have pay Rs 190 as one side toll and Rs 285 as two side toll.

Passing across a highly seismic zone the tunnel is an engineering marvel. It will be the first in India to be equipped with world class "integrated tunnel control system" through which ventilation, fire control, signals, communication and electrical systems will be automatically actuated.

"It is a historic moment, Cheneni- Nashiri is the longest road tunnel, this is an example of the great work done by Indian engineers", said Mr Rathore.

The tunnel will eventually make the Valley accessible by an all-weather road and avoid the biggest stumbling block, the landslide-prone stretch.

With the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remaining blocked for most parts of winter due to snow and landslides, the tunnel is an important step to make it an all-weather road, better connectivity with the rest of the country will also help to boost the trade and commerce in the valley.

 

[kris]

Great achievement.....
Construction of a railway line will be an ultimate successful

 

[IndoCarib]

 

[Ashesh]

Acche Din!

 

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari along with the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh briefing the media about the inauguration of Chanani – Nashri tunnel in J&K, in New Delhi on March 22, 2017. The Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Sanjay Mitra is also seen.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari along with the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh briefing the media about the inauguration of Chanani – Nashri tunnel in J&K, in New Delhi on March 22, 2017. The Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Sanjay Mitra is also seen.

 

[Hindustani78]

The strategic 8.9-km-long Rohtang tunnel is already running two years behind the schedule. (HT File photo)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...e-frontiers/story-diw3BsahoCy4UyrodM1SXN.html

The defence ministry has decided to construct four more tunnels in order to effect all-weather connectivity with treacherous roads linking the Chinese frontiers in Leh and Ladakh.

The four proposed tunnels will cut through lofty mountain passes in the Himalayan and Zanskar mountain ranges to facilitate year-round movement of vehicles – both civilian and army – to border areas. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), India’s elite agency responsible for the construction and maintenance of borders roads, has already engaged Italian consultants to conduct feasibility studies for the tunnels. Once built, it will cut through the avalanche-prone Shinkula pass – which connects Lahaul valley in Himachal to Zanskar in Jammu and Kashmir .

Though the 16,703-foot-high pass has no glaciers, it is highly prone to avalanches during snowy winters. It was only last year that the BRO completed the 39.6-km stretch to connect Lahaul valley with Zanskar.

The stretch connecting Darcha with Shinkula pass will also drastically reduce travel time between Manali and Leh. Experts say that the road, besides being of strategic importance, will improve connectivity for residents of the 15-odd villages in Zanskar valley – who currently have to walk nearly six days to reach either Leh or Manali.

The road will also aid the construction of a tunnel being planned beneath Shinkula pass. “The BRO has hired experts from Italy-based Geodata to conduct a feasibility study,” a senior official told Hindustan Times. This tunnel is aimed at reducing the distance between Manali and Leh.

Besides this, the defence ministry has proposed the construction of a 11.25-km-long tunnel beneath the 16,040-feet Baralachala pass in Zanskar range. Using the 470-km national highway connecting Manali and Leh to cross Baralachala pass has been nothing short of a nightmare for both drivers and travellers. While it remains closed to traffic during the winter, summers see melting glaciers create potentially dangerous streams on one of the most treacherous roads in the country.

The tunnel is likely to be built through the 17,480-feet-high Taglangla pass, which is the second-highest motorable mountain pass in the world. The proposed tunnel will be the longest one in the Manali-Leh axis, stretching for approximately 14.78 km.

The last tunnel on the Manali-Leh road will be constructed below the 16,598-feet Lachungla pass, which is on Himachal-Jammu and Kashmir boundary. It will be located just 25 km from Sarchu. The tunnel, measuring 11.25-km, will be second-longest in the axis.

The strategic 8.9-km-long Rohtang tunnel is already running two years behind the schedule. The project, aimed at providing all-weather road connectivity to areas bordering China, has hit another geological roadblock – with engineers finding it difficult to dig through entire strata of withered rocks beneath the 13,050-feet-high pass.

 

[Hindustani78]

Dubbed an engineering marvel, A nine kilometre-long road tunnel in the state of Jammu & Kashmir between Chenani and Nashri will change the way the Kashmir valley connects with the rest of the country by road. (HT Photo)

Located at an altitude of 1200 metres above sea level, the tunnel recently saw sucessful formal trial runs. (Ht Photo)

The longest bi-directional tunnel is fully-integrated with ventilation, communication, power supply and a parallel escape hatch in case of an emergency. (HT Photo)

PM Narendra Modi will dedicate the infrastructure project to the nation on April 2 and it will be thrown open to regular traffic shortly afterwards. (Ht Photo)

The project, nicknamed the ‘Patnitop tunnel’ is the longest in India although the upcoming Rohtang tunnel being built will be the highest at over 3500 metres above sea level. (HT Photo)

 

[Hindustani78]

Prime Minister's Office
30-March, 2017 19:07 IST
PM to dedicate India’s longest road tunnel to the nation


The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will dedicate to the nation, India’s longest road tunnel – the 9 kilometre long “Chenani – Nashri Tunnel” – on April 2nd, 2017.

The tunnel on NH-44 which connects Jammu with Srinagar, will reduce travel time between the two cities by upto two hours. It achieves a distance-reduction of 31 kilometres, bypassing snow-bound upper reaches. The estimated daily fuel savings are to the tune of Rs. 27 lakhs.

Besides avoiding large scale deforestation and tree-cutting, the tunnel will provide a safe, all-weather route to commuters travelling from Jammu and Udhampur, to Ramban, Banihal and Srinagar.

The tunnel is equipped with world-class security systems, and is expected to boost tourism and economic activities in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Key Features of the tunnel

• It is a single-tube bi-directional tunnel, with a 9.35 metre carriageway, and a vertical clearance of 5 metres.

• There is also a parallel escape tunnel, with “Cross Passages” connecting to the main tunnel at intervals of 300 metres.

• It also has smart features such as an Integrated Traffic Control System; Surveillance, Ventilation and Broadcast Systems; Fire Fighting System; and SOS call-boxes at every 150 metres.

• The project has been completed at a cost of over Rs. 2500 crore

***

 

[ito]

There is a need to cut time to travel to Jammu to Srinagar. Now it is almost 9 hours.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
31-March, 2017 15:49 IST
Chenani-Nashri Highway Tunnel: Beginning of a New Era in Road Connectivity

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will dedicate India’s longest highways tunnel - the Chenani- Nashri tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir- to the nation on 2nd April, 2017. An ideal example of the government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Skill India’ initiative, the 9 km long, twin-tube, all-weather tunnel between Udhampur and Ramban in Jammu & Kashmir is not only India’s longest highways tunnel but also Asia’s longest bi-directional highways tunnel. Built at an elevation of 1200 metres on one of the most difficult Himalayan terrains, the tunnel will cut the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by two hours, bypassing about 41 kms of road length. It will also ensure an all weather passage on a route that often sees heavy traffic jams and disruptions due to landslides, snow, sharp curves, breakdown of vehicles and accidents.


The tunnel was constructed at a cost of about Rs 3720 crores. It is a part of the 286-km-long four-laning of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The structure consists of a 9 km long, two-laned main tunnel with a parallel escape tunnel of same length. The two tunnels are connected by 29 cross passages at regular intervals along the entire length of the tunnel. These cross passages can be used for evacuation of vehicles and commuters in case of breakdown or any other emergency. There are two minor bridges on the south and north sides and 4-lane approach roads with Toll Plazas on both ends of the tunnel. The maximum height permitted in the tunnel is 5 meters and for checking the height special sensors have been installed just before the toll points at both ends.

The tunnel has an efficient, transverse ventilation system. There are inlets bringing fresh air at 8 metre intervals and outlet for exhaust every 100 metres. There is also a fully-integrated control system with ventilation, communication, power supply, incident detection, SOS call box and fire fighting. Fitted with intelligent traffic mechanism, the tunnel has fully automatic smart control and no human intervention will be required for its operations. The tunnel is also equipped with advanced scanners to ward off any security threat. Very few tunnels in the world have this kind of fully integrated tunnel control.


The project is also environment friendly. The time saving on the Jammu- Srinagar route will further result in fuel saving of approximately Rs 27 lakhs per day. Besides, the construction of the tunnel has avoided large –scale deforestation.


The Chenani-Nashri tunnel will have a very positive impact on the state economy. In line with the Skill India initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the skill sets of local people were developed and improved, and they were engaged for construction of this tunnel. The project has provided employment to over 2,000 unskilled and skilled youth of Jammu and Kashmir as 94 percent of the work force was from the state. Around 600 to 900 people from across the country also worked on this project in 3 shifts over the past 4 years.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/603936/multi-tier-security-pms-visit.html

A multi-tier security setup has been put in place ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu region on April amid alert sounded along the border and high degree of vigilance at vital installations in J&K.

Modi is visiting the region to inaugurate India's longest road tunnel at Chenani in Udhampur district where he will also address a public rally on April 2.

The security setup includes elaborate deployments, area domination, checkpoints and alertness in border areas and vigilance on vital installations in the region by various security agencies, a police officer said.

Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid has expressed satisfaction over security arrangements put in place by security agencies in connection with the Prime Minister's visit to Udhampur.

He stressed on maintaining close coordination among security agencies to ensure incident-free visit of the Prime Minister. Vaid was chairing a high level meeting here at police headquarters (PHQ) convened to review security arrangements for Modi's visit.

The meeting was attended by senior officers from J&K Police, paramilitary forces, intelligence and civil administration. The DGP stressed upon the officers to sound alert in border areas and ensure round the clock patrolling.

He asked them to raise vigil at vital installations including airports, railway stations and highways with continuous surveillance. He said the area in and around the venue of the Prime Minister's rally should also be highly sanitised.

With the cooperation of people, all the arrangements made for the visit will be fruitful, he asserted. Traffic plan was also discussed in the meeting and it was decided that common people should not be put to any inconvenience due to the arrangements made for the VVIP visit.

The meeting reviewed and discussed the security grid with all the officers related with the visit including senior officers from police, CRPF, BSF and intelligence agencies.

They informed that all necessary arrangements have been put in place well in advance. They said proper briefing has been made to all men and officers deployed on duty at different locations.

"Intelligence grid has also been activated to gather the information about the activities of inimical elements and the inputs are discussed with other sister agencies" the meeting was informed.

The DGP emphasised on close coordination among various agencies to ensure smooth and successful visit of the PM. He said intelligence inputs should be shared and discussed among agencies and all preventive measures be taken collectively to foil designs of anti-national elements.

He stressed on conducting a rehearsal in advance to make the arrangements foolproof adding all requirements projected by various agencies related with the visit have been fulfilled.

 

[RISING SUN]

How India's Longest Road Tunnel Saw the Light of Day
India's longest and most modern road tunnel, to be unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, could not have seen the light of day had not a young dreamy-eyed local builder chipped in.

Imran Beigh, a 36-year-old Jammu-based budding infrastructure businessman, and his team built half of the 9.2-km Nashri tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in a short span of two years. While services of 20 other construction companies were utilised to make the other half, Beigh could do the remaining in lesser time. His company set off on the tough mission hours after he got a go-ahead from the contract assigning company, named ITNS - Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) Ltd.

The ITNS had to part ways with Lighton Contractors — an Australian company which originally got the contract to construct the tunnel — over some issues. Beigh, who heads the Beigh Construction Company (BCC), took over from Lighton at the start of 2015 and never looked back.
1
An eye on the stiff timeline, he set off to finish the job in a short time. “I was delighted. A super opportunity had come knocking my door. I had little experience then, had done a small portion of Banihal railway tunnel and here I was looking at a god sent opportunity,” he said. He started with a single boring machine and a few dozen construction workers that included a small team of engineers. Over a period of two years, he ended up recruiting 1,300 people, 95 percent of them locals, and expanding the fleet of small and big machines to 150. “I got a huge fleet of machines now. A boring machine called boomer costs more than Rs 4 crore and we have five at present besides the pavers, high pressure concrete sprays. We also boast of engineers who have world-class expertise,” he said.

2
Beigh's men were initially tasked with working on 4.5-km tunnel and then the lining works —packing, fixing and bolstering the tunnel arch with iron grille, steel and cement. “We took the first blast at North portal on January 7, 2015 and two weeks later from the South portal. Seeing the excavation work, we were subsequently allotted the contract for the lining works,” says Shifak Syed, business developer for BCC. “For that, we joined hands with a Turkish company. The purpose was to give best exposure to put workforce especially the engineers and technical crew,” adds Beigh. Beigh ran a hospitality business in Australia after completing his higher studies. Sensing there was potential in infrastructure building in Jammu and Kashmir, he shifted to Jammu and set up the construction company. Success followed. From an asset base of a crore to a turnover of Rs 230 crore in the last three years, the company has gone from strength to strength. “We are the only company in the state to dig tunnels and we are growing. We have bagged a contract for doing a 44-km stretch highway in Maharashtra. It is called Amravati-Chickli project,” Beigh told CNN-News18. The 13-metre wide tunnel will cut the distance of strategic Srinagar-Jammu National Highway by 30 km. It will bypass the snow-laden Patnitop pass and the mudslide prone stretch near Nashri and save the commuters from the pain of going through a two-hour tiring, risky and circuitous drive.

3
Built at a cost of Rs 3,720 crore, the tunnel will mark the country's debut in adopting the integrated tunnel control system (ITCS). The ITCS, enjoyed by a few western counties, will ensure automatic control of tunnel lighting, ventilation, communication, fire control and vehicle monitoring. Parallel to the main one, a smaller diameter escape tunnel for the evacuation of commuters has been built for the safety of passengers. The two tubes of the tunnel are internally connected through 29 cross-passages (each after a gap of 300 meters) and the escape tunnel will be used exclusively by pedestrians. There are two ducts in the tunnel — one for fresh air and another for letting out the polluted air. There are CCTVs, fire-fighting equipment and communication systems installed along the route. A control room will monitor the movement of the vehicles and come to immediate rescue in case of emergency. There is a proposal to construct more tunnels on the highway to make the route dependable especially during the winters and rainy season when the highway breaks often. If given a chance, Beigh says the highway can get shorter, reliable and open in sun, rain and snow.

“No dream is too big,” he says, invoking the late APJ Abdul Kalam.
http://www.news18.com/news/india/how-indias-longest-road-tunnel-saw-the-light-of-day-1366385.html
There is always hope, that's the massage we are getting.

 

[danger007]

Chenani-Nashri tunnel: On Sunday, April 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally open the longest road tunnel in South Asia, between Chenani and Nashri in Jammu & Kashmir. The 9.2 km tunnel, which will bypass snow-and landslide -prone Kud, Patnitop and Batote on National Highway 44, marks significant roadbuilding firsts in India, including an unprecedented stress on user safety. Here are ten things to know about the tunnel:
1) The work on the 9.2 km-long twin-tube tunnel, which is part of a 286-km-long four-lane project on the highway, started on May 23, 2011, in the lower Himalayan mountain range, and cost Rs 3,720 crore. It is built by Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) Ltd.
2) It is located at an altitude of 1,200 metres (nearly 4,000 feet) in difficult Himalayan terrain. It will reduce the travel time on National Highway 44 between Jammu and Srinagar by about 2 hours by shortening the distance between the cities by 30 km, and will altogether bypass Kud, Patnitop and Batote, locations where the highway is prone to being blocked by snow and landslides.
3) The tunnel will be the first in India to be equipped with world class “integrated tunnel control system” through which ventilation, fire control, signals, communication and electrical systems will be automatically actuated.

4) According to an Indian Express report, The tunnel comprises two tubes that run parallel to each other — the main traffic tunnel of diameter 13 m, and a separate safety or escape tunnel of diameter 6 m alongside. The two tubes — each approximately 9 km long — are connected by 29 cross passages at regular intervals along the entire length of the tunnel.
5) With inlets every 8 m bringing fresh air into the main tube, and exhaust outlets every 100 m opening into the escape tube, the Chenani-Nashri tunnel is the country’s first — and the world’s sixth — road tunnel with a transverse ventilation system, IL&FS Project Director J S Rathore told IE.

6) Transverse ventilation will keep tailpipe smoke inside the tunnel at a minimum level — this is important, Rathore said, to prevent suffocation and keep visibility at acceptable levels, especially since the tunnel is so long.

7) SOS boxes installed every 150 m will act as emergency hotlines for commuters in distress. To connect to the ITCR to seek help, one would only need to open the door of the SOS box and say ‘Hello’, Rathore said. The SOS boxes are also equipped with first-aid facility and some essential medicines. In case of breathlessness, claustrophobia or other discomfort, or in case of breakdown of a vehicle, the commuter will be expected to inform the ITCR the number of the nearest crossway, and an ambulance or crane will be rushed through the parallel escape tunnel, Rathore said.





8) Commuters will also be able to use their mobile phones inside the tunnel. BSNL, Airtel and Idea have set up facilities inside the tunnel to carry signals. To prevent diminution of vision as a result of change in the light while going in or coming out of the tunnel, the lighting inside has been adjusted at a gradient of luminous strength.

9) Despite having been excavated in a difficult Himalayan region, both tubes are 100% waterproof. There will be no seepage of water from the ceilings or any of the walls of the tunnels, Rathore said.
10) Travel will cost an LMV vehicle Rs 55 on one side and Rs 85 for a to-and-fro journey and Rs 1,870 for one month travel, while bigger vehicles like mini buses will have pay Rs 90 as one side toll and Rs 135 for a to-and-fro toll. Buses and trucks will have pay Rs 190 as one side toll and Rs 285 as two side toll.



http://www.financialexpress.com/ind...hmir-on-sunday-10-cool-things-to-know/609639/