Mumbai: In a good news, the authorities have begun the construction of the mountain tunnel under package C4 (design and construction of a 237 km long viaduct). This viaduct will connect Vapi and Vadodara in Gujarat and will have four stations.
The stations will be – Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch and Surat Depot. It should be noted that this is the only tunnel in Package C-4 of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.
The under-construction of mountain tunnel is located about 1 km from Zaroli village of Umbergaon taluka in Valsad district of Gujarat. The structure includes a tunnel, a tunnel portal and other connecting structures such as a tunnel entrance hood.
The MAHSR corridor will consist of seven mountain tunnels built using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM).
Key Features Of The Tunnel
- Length: 350m
- Diameter: 12.6m
- Height: 10.25m
- Shape: Single tube horse-shoe shaped
- Number of tracks: 2
Construction Delays
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail is a major project for the states of Maharshtra and Gujarat as it will cut down significant amount of travelling time between the two. However, the construction of the same faced many delays due to land axquisition disputes in Maharashta.
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Construction of the corridor was supposed to begin in April 2020 itself, however, it was halted then due to the conflict. Owing to the late beginning, it is uncertain as to when the construction will be done and the tunnel will be thrown open. However, it is expected to be completely functioning by 2027.
The high-speed rail line will connect India’s financial hub, Mumbai, and the largest city of Gujarat, Ahmedabad.
