Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL) has achieved a Guinness World Record for constructing the widest underground tunnel as part of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link Project. This engineering marvel, inaugurated on Maharashtra Day, aims to transform travel between Mumbai and Pune by reducing congestion and cutting travel time by 30 minutes.
The project, spanning 13.3 kilometres, includes 10.67 kilometres of state-of-the-art, five-lane twin tunnels, each 22.33 metres wide. The construction involved the excavation of over 8.5 million tonnes of rock through the challenging Sahyadri range, utilising 7,600 tonnes of steel and over 1.1 lakh cubic metres of concrete for shotcrete. The project was completed in 9 million manhours, showcasing the scale and complexity of the undertaking.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with other dignitaries, praised the project as a landmark in India's infrastructure journey. Chinta Sridhar, Managing Director of NECL, stated, “This is more than a world record, it is a statement of what India can build.” The project faced significant challenges, including complex land constraints and steep gradients, which were overcome through meticulous planning and advanced engineering solutions.
Safety and technology were paramount, with the tunnel featuring SCADA-based monitoring, AI-powered systems, and advanced fire safety measures. The project is expected to significantly alleviate congestion in the Khandala ghat section, marking a transformative step in infrastructure development and setting a new benchmark for excellence in the nation
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