BRO’s Atal Tunnel Receives ‘Best Infrastructure Project’ Award

Sakshi Education

The Border Roads Organization (BRO) engineering marvel, Atal Tunnel, built-in Rohtang in Himachal Pradesh, received the Indian Building Congress (IBC) ‘Best Infrastructure Project’ award in New Delhi. More than thirty state-of-the-art infrastructure projects were nominated for the award. The IBC jury selected the strategic tunnel as the ‘Best Project for Excellence in Built Environment’ in 2021.
The tunnel, built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister NarendraModi on October 3, 2020.
It is equipped with a semi-transverse ventilation system, where large fans separately circulate air throughout the tunnel. For evacuation during emergencies, an emergency tunnel has been integrated into the tunnel cross-section beneath the main carriageway.
Fires inside the tunnel will be controlled within an area of 200 meters, and fire hydrants are provided at specific locations throughout the tunnel.
Pollution sensors continuously monitor the air quality in the tunnel, and if the air quality is below the desired level, fresh air is injected into the tunnel via two heavy-duty fans on each side of the tunnel.