GUWAHATI, Oct 19 � In a major achievement, the Construction Organisation of the Maligaon-headquartered Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has successfully made through the Tunnel No. 10 today morning in the Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion project.
The 3.23-km long tunnel was made through with underground excavation work from both ends, meeting each other, NFR (Construction) Senior PRO, DC Borah said.
This is the longest tunnel in the entire project and is situated near the New Haflong Station building and passes below Haflong town.
The work on this tunnel was started in September 2005, but due to several geological problems, work did not progress well initially.
�However, from 2012 onwards, the work on the remaining portion of the tunnel could progress well and now it has been opened. The balance work of the tunnel, i.e., benching, lining and invert will be completed before January 31, 2015, during the Mega Block period,� Borah said.
He added, �very adverse geological conditions were encountered during the underground excavation of this tunnel and its completion has seen as a major challenge for the construction engineers of NFR. In fact this is the most critical activity of the Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion project. For tackling all geological hurdles, consultancy services of the Central Institute of Fuel and Mining Research (CIFMR), Roorkee, were utilised. Suitable changes in design and tunnel support system were made and from 2012 onwards progress of about 60 metre per month was steadily achieved.�
This is one of the 17 tunnels in the entire alignment of Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion project.
Borah said other works like earth filling, construction of major and minor bridges, station buildings and track linking are going on satisfactorily as part of the Mega Block works.
�The present overall progress of work is 96 per cent. NFR (Construction) is confident of completing the Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion by March 31, 2015,� he said.
