By Amrit Prakash
Kota (Rajasthan) [India], June 26 : The Mukundra tunnel, one of the most ambitious and technically challenging segments of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, is nearing completion.
This massive tunnel, which passes beneath the Mukundra Hills in Rajasthan, is about 82 per cent complete, with full completion targeted by the end of this year, officials said.
Spanning nearly 5 kilometres in length and eight lanes in width, the tunnel is India's first four-lane double-tube tunnel, comprising two separate tubes, each with four lanes.
With a total width of 21 metres, it is the widest tunnel in the country, setting a new national record.
The tunnel passes through Mukundra Hills National Park, located near Kota district in Rajasthan, which is classified as an eco-sensitive zone. The region's dense forest, hilly terrain, and rich wildlife posed significant environmental and technical hurdles for the project team. Despite these challenges, the project has made substantial progress while ensuring minimal ecological disturbance.
Explaining the challenges, Pradeep Attri, Regional Officer, NHAI (Jaipur) said, "This 12-kilometre stretch was one of the most challenging sections of the entire Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. It falls within the buffer zone of the Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to highly diversified flora and fauna. So, during both construction and post-construction operations, we had to be extremely cautious to ensure that the natural habitat of the animals could coexist with the highway."
"We consulted with the Wildlife Institute of India, and under the guidance of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, we constructed five dedicated wildlife overpasses, carefully maintaining the natural contouring of the landscape to allow free movement of animals. Where we are standing right now, it's hard to believe, but the eight-lane expressway actually runs below us, and this entire structure above is an overpass exclusively built for animal movement. Each of these five overpasses is 500 meters long..." he said while speaking to ANI.
The official emphasised the importance of maintaining the safety of the natural habitat and cited stringent conditions imposed by the Ministry of Environment.
"The tunnel is five kilometres long and passes through the Mukundra Wildlife Sanctuary. The safety of the wildlife and the natural habitat was very important... We had stringent conditions from the Ministry of Environment... The vehicles will pass from the level where we are standing. The height of the hillock above us varies... This is the first tunnel in India in which a four-lane carriageway was planned... The construction work of the tunnel is about 82 per cent complete... We are targeting to complete this tunnel by December..."