Tunnel on Parwanoo road nears completion
Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, January 9
The 936-m one-way-tunnel on the 39-km stretch of the Parwanoo-Solan four-laning project was nearing completion with approach roads on both ends having been constructed. It will reduce the travelling distance on the highway by 3.5 kms.
Private company GR Infraprojects, which was fourlaning the project, had to construct an additional 140-m tunnel to ensure that both ends meet. As per the initial design, this tunnel was supposed to be 825-m long but site specific issues prolonged its length. It took nearly one year to carve out this tunnel which extends from 91 km milestone to 99 km on the Barog bypass and culminates near Hyundai showroom on the bypass. This tunnel will provide one-way connectivity to the commuters travelling from Shimla.
“This tunnel has been equipped with all requisite facilities like ventilators for letting out vehicular fumes. While four ventilators will be operational on 24-hour basis, two would be kept on standby. Sensors to sense level of smoke have also been provided to enable the ventilators to function as soon as the vehicular fumes exceed a specified limit.
Fire-fighting equipment has been fitted after 60 m interval along with telephone facility after every 100 meter to make available immediate help in case of any eventuality. Apart from this, four CCTVs have been installed in the tunnel which will be controlled through a control room located outside the tunnel and it will record data on a 24 hour basis, informed project manager of GR Infraprojects, Rajiv Pathania.
An expenditure of Rs 100 crore was being incurred on laying this tunnel which will provide a 1.2 m wide pedestrian path on both sides. As much as eight-meter carriageway has been provided for the vehicular traffic. It will be lit by three-level led lights which will be functional in the morning and evenings hours and would have varied light depending on the requirement.
Pathania said that completion work of the tunnel was in the final stage.
With nearly 80 per cent work of the four-lane highway till Solan having been completed, commuters are hopeful that they would soon enough hassle-free travel on the route.
