Itanagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will inaugurate Sela Tunnel, the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel at an altitude of 13,000 feet.
The strategically located Sela Tunnel is located in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district.
Senior officials told Northeast News that the PM will dedicate the tunnel to the nation at a function at Baisakhi in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Sela Tunnel was constructed at a cost of ₹825 crore, which includes two tunnels and 8.780 km of approach road.
The total length of the project, including the tunnels, the approach and the link roads, will be around 12 km.
Of the two tunnels, the first is a single-tube tunnel of 980 metres in length, and the second is 1.5 km long with an escape tube for emergencies.
The Sela Tunnel has been constructed with the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), and is being described as an engineering marvel.
The tunnel will provide access to Tawang and other forward areas bordering China throughout the year.
The tunnel has been excavated below the 13,800 ft Sela Pass, which often remains closed due to excessive snowfall.
The strategic tunnel will enhance the strategic and operational capabilities of the Indian Army.
The official also said that various safety measures were installed inside the tunnel.
The foundation of the Sela Tunnel was laid by the Prime Minister in February 2019, but work got delayed due to various reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
