30-681: Atal Tunnel (also known as Rohtang Tunnel ) is a highway tunnel built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the National Highway 3 in Himachal Pradesh , India . At a length of 9.02 km, it is the longest highway single-tube tunnel above 10,000 feet (3,048 m) in the world. With the existing Atal Tunnel and after the completion of under-construction Shinku La Tunnel , which
60-647: A Buddhist culture (in the north). The pass lies on the watershed between the Chenab and Beas basins. On the southern side of this pass, the Beas River emerges from underground and flows southward and on its northern side, the Chandra River (flows from the eastern Himalayas), a source stream of the river Chenab , flows westward. The pass is open from May to November. It is not particularly high or difficult to cross on foot by Himalayan standards, but it has
90-653: A joint venture between Rodio Foundation Engineering of Switzerland and Hazarat & Co of India. In the initial years, the company undertook foundation work of office buildings in Mumbai's then-business district Nariman Point . In 1976, the Swiss partner exited the joint venture by selling its stake to an employees-led consortium, owing to the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act legislation passed in 1973 which affected its business viability. The company
120-475: A reduction of around 3 to 4 hours when compared to the earlier route. Moreover, the tunnel bypasses most of the sites that were prone to road blockades, avalanches, and traffic snarls. The tunnel is at an elevation of 3,100 metres (10,171 ft) whereas the Rohtang Pass is at an elevation of 3,978 metres (13,051 ft). It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 October 2020. The cost of
150-515: A tunnel across Rohtang Pass was first conceived in 1942 by Dr. John Bicknell Auden , Geological Survey of India (GSI) who at that time visited this pass intending to divert the water of Chandra river to Beas. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister, locals suggested his childhood friend Arjun Gopal, To visit him and to talk about Rohtang Tunnel. Gopal and two companions, Chhering Dorje and Abhay Chand, moved to Delhi . After
180-457: A well-deserved reputation for being dangerous because of unpredictable snowstorms and blizzards. This pass is an ancient trade route between the people on either side of Pir Panjal . There are many other passes in Lahaul and Spiti which have specific names (Kunzam La, Baralacha La, etc.). This is suggestive of the fact that this must have been the oldest and most frequented pass in the region, or
210-727: A year of discussions, Vajpayee went to Lahaul in June 2000 and declared that the Rohtang Tunnel would be constructed. RITES conducted a feasibility study. In 2000, the project was estimated to cost ₹500 crore and be completed in seven years. On 26 May 2002, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a tri-service organisation of the Defence Ministry specialising in road and bridge construction in difficult terrains, headed by Lt. Gen. Prakash Suri, PVSM,
240-534: Is an Indian multinational construction and engineering company based in Mumbai . The company is involved in infrastructure EPC projects such as bridges, flyovers, metros , railway lines, tunnels, highways, ports and marine works, barrages , and oil and gas structures. It has been a part of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group since 2000. The company was founded in 1959 as Rodio Hazarat & Co,
270-485: Is difficult. Therefore, the government is stressing on setting up a ropeway between Kothi village which is in Manali and Rohtang Pass. The NGT (National Green Tribunal) has asked the state government of Himachal Pradesh to complete all the formalities to start a ropeway. With the coming of a ropeway, we can reduce carbon emission from vehicles. Heavy snowfall blocks the road in winter and a ropeway will be very useful. As
300-543: Is not a national highway. Nonetheless, the Leh-Manali Highway has become very busy during the summer months as an alternate military route since the Kargil Conflict in 1999. Traffic jams are common as military vehicles, trucks, and goods carriers try to navigate the tight roads and rough terrain, compounded by snow and ice at certain points and the large number of tourist vehicles. Several episodes of
330-461: Is targeted to be completed by 2025, the new Leh-Manali Highway via Nimmu–Padum–Darcha road will become all-weather road. It is named after former Prime Minister of India , Atal Bihari Vajpayee . The tunnel reduces the travel time and overall distance between Manali and Keylong on the way to Leh . The route, which previously went through Gramphu, was 116 km (72.1 mi) long and took 5 to 6 hours in good conditions. A traveller now reaches
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#1732779741816360-528: The History Channel's Ice Road Truckers series spinoff IRT Deadliest Roads dealt with truckers crossing the Rohtang Pass to deliver supplies. With increase in Traffic at Rohtang Valley, environmentalists fear its impact on the fragile mountain ecology. A rise in average temperature, and the consequent melting of glaciers, are also issues of severe concern. Sometimes travelling to Rohtang Pass
390-473: The Rohtang Pass area is a major concern, especially on the approach roads to the main tunnel. To prevent any damage to the roads and to ensure the safety of the roads and tunnel users alike, avalanche control structures have been constructed. Since the Atal tunnel is likely to witness heavy traffic, CCTV cameras are placed at regular intervals in the tunnel which are connected to two monitoring rooms on both ends of
420-532: The Atal Tunnel are as follows: The following parameters have been set in design: Project Cost : Approximately ₹3,200 crore The tunnel was built using the New Austrian tunnelling method and has been equipped with a semi-transverse ventilation system, where large fans separately circulate air throughout the tunnel. A 2.250 m tall and 3.6 m wide emergency tunnel has been integrated into
450-476: The Atal Tunnel, in honour of Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on 25 December 2019, Vajpayee's birthday. The Atal Tunnel has been planned to ensure an all-seasons, all-weather road route to strategically important areas of Ladakh and the remote Lahaul-Spiti valley . However, the tunnel will provide this connectivity only up to Darcha , north of Keylong in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh . Connectivity to Ladakh will require more tunnels: either at Shikun La, or at
480-521: The Chairperson of National Advisory Council. The road tunnel called Atal Tunnel has been excavated and became operational on 3 October 2020 after formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It obviates the need to travel over the Rohtang Pass. While it takes 4 to 6 hours to ascend, negotiate and descend the Rohtang Pass, travel through the Rohtang Tunnel takes only about 30 minutes. Afcons Infrastructure Afcons Infrastructure Limited
510-522: The Rohtang Tunnel through the Himalayan ranges began on 28 June 2010 at the South Portal, 25 km (16 mi) north of Manali . Some of the anchoring and slope stabilisation work was subcontracted to Spar Geo Infra Pvt Ltd. Permanent maintenance free earthing system design, supply and installation was sub-contracted to Manav Energy Pvt. Ltd. Prime Minister Narendra Modi renamed the tunnel as
540-406: The South Portal of the tunnel from Manali , a distance of 24.4 km (15.2 mi) in about 45 minutes, goes through the 9.02 km (5.6 mi) long tunnel in about 15 minutes, and reaches Keylong which is 37 km (23.0 mi) away in about 60 minutes. The new route via the tunnel brings down the total distance travelled to 71 km (44.1 mi) which can be covered in about 2 hours,
570-662: The completion date was revised to 2014. However, there was no progress for the next three years, until May 2010. Finally, the Cabinet Committee on Security in UPA government cleared the Rohtang Tunnel Project. The work was awarded to a joint venture of AFCONS Infrastructure Limited , an Indian construction company of Shapoorji Pallonji Group , and STRABAG AG , Austria, in September 2009. The drilling of
600-707: The eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km (32 mi) from Manali in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh . It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh , India . The pass provides a natural divide between the Kullu Valley with a primarily Hindu culture (in the south), and the arid high-altitude Lahaul and Spiti valleys with
630-468: The entire project is ₹3,200 crore (US$ 438 million). The tunnel was completed by the Border Roads Organisation ( BRO ) under Ministry of Defence. The tunnel can be visited by citizens and students of the nation. It will also boost tourism in Himachal . The Moravian Mission first talked about the possibility of a tunnel through Rohtang Pass to reach Lahaul in 1860. The proposal for the construction of
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#1732779741816660-553: The fact that it is the main pass leading from one cultural region to another, quite different one, to the north. The name Rohtang comes from Persian/ Farsi words Ruh+ Tang which means pile of dead bodies. The former National Highway 21 (NH 21, now numbered NH 3), the road through the Kullu Valley, terminates at Manali . The road northwards over the Rohtang Pass to Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district and on to Leh in Ladakh
690-589: The north portal was not accessible during winter and the excavation was being done only from the south portal in winters. Only about one-fourth of the entire tunnel was excavated from the north end and three-fourths was excavated from the south end. There were more than 46 avalanche sites on approaches to the tunnel. Other challenges to the progress of the tunnel included difficulties in disposing more than 8 lakh m of excavated rock and soil, heavy ingress of water (as much as 30 lakh litres per day in June 2012) that required constant dewatering, costlier treatment and slowed
720-436: The pass gets blocked by snow and the road over the pass closes from November to May rendering Lahaul and Spiti districts north of the pass inaccessible, a need was felt to build a tunnel under the pass. The project was announced by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 3 June 2000. The work was started by BRO on 6 May 2002. The foundation stone of the project was laid on 28 June 2010 by Sonia Gandhi in her capacity as
750-404: The passes located on the present Leh-Manali road. Director General Border Roads Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, VSM has initiated plans for construction of tunnel at Shinkula. Total length of tunnel is 9.02 km. The most challenging task was to continue the excavation during heavy snowfall in winter. Excavation for tunnelling was done from both ends. However, as Rohtang pass closes during the winter,
780-534: The progress of excavation from 5-metre per day to just half a metre a day and unstable rocks that slowed blasting and digging. A cloud-burst and flash flood on 8 August 2003 killed 42 labourers who were building the temporary access road. Questions were also raised on the impact of cutting down more than 700 trees on the ecology. The tunnel is intended to create an all-weather route to Leh and Lahaul and Spiti valleys in Himachal Pradesh. Salient features of
810-422: The tunnel cross-section beneath the main carriageway for evacuation during emergencies. Fires inside the tunnel will be controlled within an area of 200 metres and fire hydrants are provided at specific locations throughout the tunnel. The tunnel also has a public announcement system to make important announcements in emergency situations for which loudspeakers are installed at regular intervals. Heavy snowfall in
840-466: The tunnel for vehicular management and pollution monitoring. Pollution sensors continuously monitor the air quality in the tunnel and if the air quality in the tunnel is below the desired level, fresh air is injected into the tunnel via two heavy duty fans on each side of the tunnel. Rohtang Pass Rohtang Pass ( Rohtang , lit: རོ་ (Ro)- corpse(s), ཐང་། (thang)- plain/field ) is a high mountain pass (elevation 3,980 m (13,058 ft)) on
870-445: Was put in charge of construction. The approach road to the tunnel entrance was inaugurated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee . However the project did not move beyond the tree-felling stage by May 2003. By December 2004, the cost estimate had grown to ₹900 crore. In May 2007, the government of Dr. Manmohan Singh awarded the contract to SMEC (Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation) International Private Limited, an Australian company, and
900-400: Was renamed as Asia Foundations and Construction in the same year. The company later expanded its business interests beyond foundation engineering to include marine construction (jetties, docks and harbours) and transportation works (roads and bridges). In 1997, the company was renamed to Afcons Infrastructure. In the 1990s, the company raised debt funding from ICICI , which later converted
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