The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project achieved a major construction milestone on Tuesday with the construction progress of a second mountain tunnel in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: Breakthrough in second mountain tunnel at PalgharWith a length of 454 meters and a width of 14.4 meters, the tunnel will accommodate both up and down tracks for the project.
“At 11.14 am, the blast occurred at MT-6. It was the second breakthrough in a mountain tunnel in less than a month with the previous one at MT-5 on January 2,” said a National High Speed Rail Corporation official.
Seven hill tunnels are currently under construction in Palghar district. As of January 27, at least 334 kilometers of viaducts, 17 river bridges and major crossings over 12 national highways, railways and other infrastructure have been completed. Track laying and electrification work on the Gujarat section of the project has gained momentum.
The mountain tunnel (MT-6) was excavated from both ends using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), a sophisticated drill-and-controlled blast method. Excavation is expected to be completed within 12 months. Complex geological conditions such as in Palghar district and irregular tunnel shapes where tunnel boring machines are not suitable are favorable for the flexibility of NATM. This process does not require very heavy machinery and allows for real time adaptation using shotcrating, rock bolts and lattice girders.
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The safety of workers inside the tunnel was ensured through real-time monitoring, geotechnical instrumentation, fire safety systems, proper ventilation and controlled access systems.
In Maharashtra, construction is progressing rapidly on multiple fronts, officials said. Work on the project’s longest river bridge over the Vaitarna river has reached pier level, while foundation-level work is underway on other major rivers like Ulhas and Jagni. Construction is progressing rapidly at all four stations on major national and state highway crossings using long span steel bridges and on the 21 km long tunnel between Bandra Kurla Complex and Shilphata.
