1Senior Vice President-Operations,
Adanigarh to Puranakatak railway tunnel project is one of the prestigious ongoing projects in the state of Orissa in Boudh district. Owner of the project are East Coast Railway (EcoR), the branch of Indian Railways. Objective of the project is to connect the remote area people of Eastern Orissa to Western Orissa and to the rest of the country. This will also give the shortest access to the Visakhapatnam Port.
Adanigarh Puranakatak Railway tunnel Project under Pkg-5 of the Khurdha Road-Bolangir rail line project in Odisha, India, exemplifies innovation and efficiency in large-scale infrastructure development. Project is having 4 tunnels viz. T4, T5, T6, and T7 spanning a length of 7.492 kms and one escape tunnel. The project implemented a mix of Cut & Cover and NATM tunnel method, to overcome geological and logistical challenges. Key innovations included the use of Polyfibre Reinforced Shotcrete (PFRS) instead of traditional shotcrete and wire mesh, and the introduction of polyform concrete lining, enhancing cost-effectiveness and safety. Proactive solutions, such as resolving land acquisition issues and optimizing access routes, minimized delays and reduced the costs. The project achieved 1.5 million safe working hours and preserved nearly 3,000 trees, underscoring its commitment to safety, environmental sustainability, and advanced engineering practices.
Project is in advance stage of construction and entire project is to be completed in 30months time.
Author wants to highlight the challenges faced by the working team in speedious mobilization, communication, wildlife problems, construction techniques for fastest construction and cut and cover methodologies and on the spot innovative solution adopted to complete tunnels ahead of schedule. Project is executed using NATM technology.
