PM Modi inaugurates Atal Tunnel in Rohtang
The strategically important all-weather Atal Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in the world, has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 9.02 km-long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. It reduces the road distance by 46 kilometers between Manali and Leh and the time by about 4-5 hours. The Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 meters (10,000 Feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL).
ATAL TUNNEL INAUGURATION: HIGHLIGHTS
11:31 AM: Emphasis has been put on the development of border infrastructure. Its benefits are being extended to the common people as well as our armed forces personnel, PM says
11:30 AM: Atal Ji laid the foundation stone of approach road of this tunnel in 2002. Till 2013-2014, progress was made only on 1,300 meters of this tunnel. After 2014, the project progressed with unprecedented pace, PM Modi says
11:27 AM: Atal tunnel will give new strength to India's border infrastructure. It is an example of world-class border connectivity. There have been demands to improve border infrastructure but for a long time, such projects either couldn't get out of planning stage or got stuck midway, PM Modi says
11:24 AM: Connectivity has a direct connection with development. Connectivity in border areas is directly related to security issues, PM says
11:20 AM: Not just Himachal Pradesh, Atal Tunnel will be a lifeline for Leh-Ladakh, PM Modi says
11:17 AM: There have been demands to improve the infrastructure of this area since long, but those could not be met for several reasons, says PM Modi
11:15 AM: With the inauguration of this tunnel, the travel time to Leh Ladakh will be reduced by nearly 4 hours, says PM Modi
11:13 AM: Today is a historic day as one of the most challenging resolutions has been achieved; the dream of Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been fulfilled, says PM Modi
11:00 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from Rohtang, Himachal Pradesh
10:30 AM: PM Modi will address a gathering in Rohtang shortly.
10:20 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Atal Tunnel in Rohtang.
09:15 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Manali for the inauguration of #AtalTunnel, the longest highway tunnel in the world built at an altitude of 3000 meters
08:20 AM: Visuals from Sissu in Lahaul valley where PM Narendra Modi will address a public gathering today after inaugurating Atal Tunnel which is the longest highway tunnel in the world.
08:10 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Chandigarh International Airport. He will inaugurate Atal Tunnel at Rohtang in Himachal Pradesh at 10 am today.
ATAL TUNNEL: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
- The South Portal (SP) of Atal Tunnel is located at a distance of 25 Km from Manali at an altitude of 3060 meters, while the North Portal (NP) of the tunnel is located near village Teling, Sissu, in Lahaul Valley at an altitude of 3071 meters.
Atal Tunnel inauguration today
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It is horse shoe shaped, single tube double lane tunnel with a roadway of 8 Mtrs. It has an overhead clearance of 5.525 Mtrs.
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It is 10.5-metre wide and has a 3.6 x 2.25 Mtrs fire proof emergency egress tunnel built into the main tunnel itself.
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Atal Tunnel has been designed for traffic density of 3000 cars per day and 1500 trucks per day with max speed of 80 km/hr.
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It has the state of the art electromechanical system including semi transverse ventilation system, SCADA controlled firefighting, illumination and monitoring system.
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The Tunnel has safety features built into it. Some of the key safety features are:
(a) Tunnel entry barriers at both portals.
(b) Telephone connections at every 150 meters for emergency communication.
(c) Fire hydrant mechanisms at every 60 meters.
(d) Auto incident detection system with CCTV cameras at every 250 meters.
(e) Air quality monitoring at every 1 Km.
(f) Evacuation lighting / exit signs at every 25 meters.
(g) Broadcasting system throughout the tunnel.
(h) Fire rated Dampers at every 50 meters.
(i) Cameras at every 60 meters.
