The final breakthrough of the 9.05 km-long Tunnel 11, part of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Project, was successfully completed on Tuesday. The tunnel connects GITI Maidan (Portal-1) in Srinagar to Dungaripanth (Portal-2) near Dhari Devi Station. Developed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), this main tunnel will host train operations, with a parallel escape tunnel for emergencies.
To expedite the excavation and construction, two auxiliary tunnels, Edit-5 and Edit-6, were utilized. Project Director Piyush Pant announced that the breakthrough between Portal-1 and Edit-5 was achieved at 3 PM, marking the completion of the excavation. Final concrete lining work is now underway, with 5.29 km of the main tunnel and 3.6 km of the escape tunnel already completed.
The tunnel construction is being overseen by project management consultant M/S AECOM, while M/S Sang Da-Ritwik JV is executing the construction. Project Manager Viresh Chalmi and other officials were present during the breakthrough event.
