Asia’s first and longest bi-directional highway tunnel opened

The recently opened Chenani and Nashri tunnel will reduce the distance from 41kms to 10kms and thus save time by about two hours as well as fuel saving to the tune of Rs 27 lakh per day. The tunnel was thrown open for vehicular movement with its formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 2, is India’s largest highway tunnel and most intelligent one in the world.

Significant features like Integrated Traffic Control System (ITCS), Video surveillance through 140 CCTVs, wireless communication and FM broadcast system, Entrance Detection Control, Electrical Fire signalling, Active Fire Fighting, Tunnel Ventilation, Evacuative Broadcast system and SOS call boxes make it most intelligent tunnel of the world, which has been built in four years-again first in the world. With the help of cross passages after every 300 meters, which lead to escape tunnel and through public address system or FM announcement, the evacuation of humans in case of any incident inside the main tunnel will be done within 90 seconds while in the second phase, the situation will be diffused in the next 90 seconds thus finishing the entire operation within three-four minutes.

Besides, there are SOS Call Boxes at every 150 meters inside the main tunnel, where immediate requirements such as first- aid kit are installed and the person on very entering the box will automatically get connected with control room for further instructions as well as inviting swift action by Route Patrolling Officers.

The state-of-the-art engineering marvel is fully automatic smart system control tunnel with no human intervention for the technical operation. The 10.98kms long Chenani-Nashri tunnel project comprises of a main tunnel and parallel escape tunnel, which are connected through 29 cross passages at every 300 meters.