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Afcons teams go neck and neck

Samruddhi Mahamarg PKG 2 & 14 teams race ahead of others despite challenges like pandemic and heavy rain

August 2021 has been a memorable month for Afcons constructing two packages of the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg project. At Package-2, in Wardha, Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) of 58.31 km of the main carriageway was completed in just 18 months. Not far behind, Package-14, at Igatpuri, achieved the second breakthrough and started preparations for the final blast to daylight the state’s longest and widest road tunnels. While all 16 packages of this strategic expressway are working at war footing, Afcons’ teams have gained the distinction of being the first to meet their respective targets.

Leading the pack

The PKG-2 team completed the Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) of 58.31 km of the main carriageway in just 18 months and became the first of the 16 packages to achieve this feat. To reach a critical milestone like this was commendable especially after the vicious second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

“The PQC activity kicked-off in January, but the second wave hit soon after. Three months were lost due to lockdowns and restrictions. Despite this, the activity was completed in August 2021. The highest production target achieved in a single day during the pandemic was 1 km,” said Akhil Gupta, Executive Director (Operations) and BU Head, Surface Transport.

As if the pandemic wasn’t enough, another challenge came in the form of bad weather. The Wardha region received unexpected rains for past two years, nearly 60% more than the average rainfall between June and September. “Despite monsoon wreaking havoc, we managed to overcome the odds through dedication and teamwork,” added Gupta.

PKG-2 is a structure-intensive project with as many as 219 structures, including 5 major Bridges, 25 minor bridges, 2 interchanges, culverts, pedestrian underpasses, rail over bridges, rainwater harvesting arrangements amongst various other features. The team has completed over 191 structures so far. As many as 942 (PSC & RCC) girders for over 36 structures have been erected, with maximum of 109 gliders in a month.

A major structure in this package is the 630m (315m x2) major bridge over Wardha River, which was completed within 14 months. The team also constructed a 660m (330m x 2) flyover in 16 months.

“We intend to complete finishing activities shortly so that the stretch can be commissioned as early as possible,” Gupta said.

One last blast

The story at PKG-14 is equally triumphant. An extreme stretch, it cuts through the precarious Western Ghats and comprises Maharashtra’s longest and widest road tunnels - 7.86km long and 17.6m wide.

“This is indeed the most critical package, and we are well on course towards finishing the twin tunnels in just about two years’ time,” said Sekhar Das, Project Manager. “Apart from Covid-19 related challenges, one of the major hurdles for us is weather as Igatpuri receives the heaviest rainfall in Maharashtra. Working in these conditions just makes the activities many times harder,” he added.

The first breakthrough was achieved in May 2021, followed by the next in July. With the third breakthrough in August, seamless connectivity has been achieved between north and south portals through the RHS tunnel. “We’ll complete the LHS tunnel, too, in September,” Das said.

This package is under the watchful eyes of MSRDC since the tunnels are the make-or-break portion of the entire Samruddhi Mahamarg project. But the project has progressed such smoothly that even MSRDC officials are full of praise.

“This is the most difficult and treacherous of all packages. We are proud to mention that this package out of the 16 packages is ahead of schedule. We are expecting the Afcons team to complete the project within the scheduled timeline,” said Hemant Jagtap, Executive Engineer, MSRDC.

The clock is ticking for the fourth and final breakthrough in September 2021 that will mark the completion of Maharashtra’s longest and widest road tunnels.

Watch the video of second breakthrough of PKG-14 in the Box Office section

 
 
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