It is the first mountain tunnel in Palghar, Maharashtra and the state’s second tunnel breakthrough. The tunnel connecting Virar and Boisar stations is one of the longest in the Palghar district.
The MT-5 tunnel was excavated from both ends by drill and blast and excavation took 18 months. The method allowed real-time monitoring of ground behaviour during excavation and enabled the deployment of support systems such as shotcrete, rock bolts, and lattice girders based on site conditions.
The first underground tunnel of approximately 5km between Thane and BKC was completed in September last year.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project has a total length of 508km, with an overall tunnel length of 27.4km, of which 21km comprises underground tunnels and 6.4km surface tunnels. The project includes eight mountain tunnels, with seven tunnels in Maharashtra having a combined length of about 6.05km, and one tunnel of 350m located in Gujarat.
Work is under way on the seven mountain tunnels. The 820m-long MT-1 has achieved 15% physical progress, while MT-2, measuring 228m, is currently under preparatory works. The 1.4km-long MT-3, has recorded 35.5% completion, and MT-4, measuring 1.26km, has achieved 31% progress. MT-6, measuring 454m, has progressed to 35%, while the 417m-long MT-7 is 28% complete.
