The longest tunnel on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, passing through the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Rajasthan, is nearing completion, marking a significant milestone in India’s infrastructure development. This eight-lane tunnel, the first of its kind in the country, features two parallel tubes, each with four lanes. Spanning a total length of 4.9 km, the tunnel consists of a 3.3 km underground section, with the remaining 1.6 km being constructed using the cut-and-cover method.
Progress and Breakthrough Ceremony
The breakthrough ceremony for Tube-1, which connects Kota to Chechat, was celebrated on Friday by engineers and workers after the successful excavation. A senior official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) reported that while Tube-1 is fully excavated, there remains 60 meters of excavation work in Tube-2 (Chechat to Kota). This is expected to be completed within a month, followed by additional excavation to increase the width and height in certain sections. The entire excavation process is anticipated to be finished by June 2024, after which road construction and other related works will begin. The tunnel is expected to be fully completed by December 2025.
Features and Expansion Plans
The tunnel will be equipped with advanced systems, including lighting, sensors, pollution control, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), and AI-based monitoring. The width of both tunnel tubes, which is currently reduced in some areas, will be expanded by March 2024. The breadth will increase from 9 meters to 19 meters, and the height will rise from 8 meters to 11 meters. Security measures and technical infrastructure, such as electrical systems and communication facilities, will also be installed.
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Overview
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is a massive 1,350 km, eight-lane access-controlled highway, with the potential for future expansion to 12 lanes. It aims to connect India’s financial capital, Mumbai, with the national capital, New Delhi. In Rajasthan, 327 km of the 373 km stretch under construction are already operational and open to toll-paying traffic.
According to NHAI officials, the construction of most sections of the transport corridor is complete. However, these sections cannot be opened for traffic until the interchanges are finished.