Construction of the 9.2 km Atal Tunnel connecting Manali to Leh, the longest road tunnel in the world above 10,000 feet, was completed in a span of 10 years, while the original estimated time was less than six years.
“The Atal Tunnel, which connects Manali to Leh, is the longest road tunnel in the world above 10,000 feet. The estimated period for the completion of this tunnel was less than six years, but it was completed in 10 years, ”said chief engineer KP Purushothaman.
“There are CCTV cameras every 60 meters and emergency exit tunnels every 500 meters inside the tunnel. The tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km and four hours can be saved, ”he said.
Fire hydrants have also been installed inside the tunnel in case of any fire incident.
“The induction and disinduction of resources was a difficult task while it was under construction. We faced many challenges, but together we were able to complete its construction. The tunnel is 10.5 meters wide, including a 1 meter path on both sides, ”he said.
The Atal tunnel project manager, Colonel Parikshit Mehra, said that many experts working within the team were of the view that the tunnel alignment should be changed.
“We have had this dream of connecting Leh and this was the first step towards the connectivity ladder. This tunnel was a challenging project because we were working from two ends. The other end was in the north, on the other side of the Rohtang Pass, which was only accessible for five months out of the year, ”he said.
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