World's longest twin-lane tunnel

The world's longest twin-lane tunnel, known as the Sela Tunnel, was officially opened on Saturday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently visiting Arunachal Pradesh. As part of the 'Viksit Bharat Viksit North East' program, the PM attended the inaugural event in Itanagar.

The world's longest twin-lane tunnel, known as the Sela Tunnel, was officially opened on Saturday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently visiting Arunachal Pradesh. As part of the 'Viksit Bharat Viksit North East' program, the PM attended the inaugural event in Itanagar.

In summary, PM Modi opens the longest twin-lane tunnel in the world, the Sela Tunnel.

At 13,000 feet, the tunnel improves access to border areas close to the LAC.

The project, which would cost Rs 825 crore, will feature more than 8 km of roadways and two tunnels.

The world's longest twin-lane tunnel, the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, was officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

The strategically significant Sela Tunnel, which is located at an elevation of 13,000 feet, will guarantee all-weather communication to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.

Sela is the nation's tallest tunnel, among other things, offering all-weather communication to the Tawang region, which is strategically important, and other forward locations that border China close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Additionally, the tunnel will cut the trip time from Tezpur to Tawang by more than an hour. A statement from the Prime Minister's office stated that travelers would be able to bypass the treacherous Sela peak, which is 13,700 feet high and covered in snow. ​

The Initiative

The project is the longest twin-lane tunnel in the world to be constructed above 13,000 feet in altitude. It consists of two tunnels: Tunnel 1, a single tube tunnel of 980 meters, and Tunnel 2, a twin tube tunnel measuring 1555 meters. There is one escape tube for emergencies and one bi-lane tube for traffic in Tunnel 2. Additionally, it entails building a 1.3-kilometer connection road to connect Tunnel 1 to Tunnel 2 as well as a seven-kilometer approach road to Tunnel 1, which begins at BCT Road.

Marvelous Engineering

According to a PMO statement, it is an engineering marvel that would allow access to Tawang through the Sela pass on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh in any weather conditions. The tunnel was constructed with the highest requirements for safety, utilizing the recently developed Austrian Tunnelling Method.

"The project will not only provide a faster and more efficient transport route in the region but is of strategic importance to the country," added the statement. Because it would give people access to Tawang in all weather conditions, the tunnel will be a lifeline.

On February 9, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the project's foundation stone. Following the first blast, the excavation of Tunnel 1 started on January 15, 2021. With an e-ceremony from India Gate, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh carried out the breakthrough blast of the 1,555-meter Tunnel 2, signaling the end of Tunnel 2 excavation on October 14, 2021.

Strategic Importance

One of India's clear disadvantages over China along the northeast frontier was the absence of motorable roads and rail connections in Arunachal Pradesh. Additionally, experts noted that China gained a strategic edge from building access roads and other infrastructure all the way to the Indian border.

The northeast now has better infrastructural connectivity thanks to new airports and train connections that have been built in the last few years under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi's Union government. One such project that is crucial from a strategic standpoint is the Sela Tunnel.

Chinese and Indian forces engaged in combat during the 1962 conflict, and on October 24, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) took control of Tawang.