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The Prime Minister will inaugurate Atal Tunnel, the world’s longest underground highway, on 3 October in Himachal Pradesh. The strategically important all-weather Atal Tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km and the travel time by five hours.
More About Atal Tunnel
- The 9.02 Km long tunnel will now connect Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier the valley was cut off for about 6 months each year owing to heavy snowfall.
- Atal Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 mtr (10,000 feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL).
- It is a tunnel with a roadway of 8 mtr. It has an overhead clearance of 5.525 mtr.
- It is 10.5-metre wide and has a 3.6 x 2.25 mtr fire proof emergency egress tunnel built into the main tunnel itself.
- Atal Tunnel has been designed for traffic density of 3000 cars per day and 1500 trucks per day with a max speed of 80 km/hr.
- It has state of the art electromechanical systems including semi transverse ventilation system, SCADA controlled firefighting, illumination and monitoring system.
- Atal Tunnel has been completed in a span of 10 years
- Atal Tunnel will be not only important from the strategic point of view but also give a boost to tourism in Lahaul-Spiti, creating employment opportunities.
Some of the Key Safety Features of Atal Tunnel:
- Tunnel entry barriers at both portals.
- Telephone connections at every 150 mtr for emergency communication.
- Fire hydrant mechanisms at every 60 mtr
- Auto incident detection system with CCTV cameras at every 250 mtr
- Air quality monitoring at every 1 km.
- Evacuation lighting/ exit signs at every 25 mtr.
- Broadcasting system throughout the tunnel.
- Fire rated dampers at every 50 mtr.
- Cameras at every 60 mtr.
Source: Indian Express & Livemint
