Imphal, February 10 2010: Along with sealing the tender in connection with drilling of two tunnels and completion of constructing 29 smaller bridges, the project on laying the 81.5 km long railway line from Jiribam to Tupul is said to be progressing well.

According to an official source, the tender for drilling two tunnels, one 3.25 km long and the other 4.7 km long, along the proposed 81.5 km long railway line from Jiribam to Tupul has already been sealed.

This is over and above the finalisation of the tender for drilling four new tunnels.

The process for inviting tender for construction of a Road Overbridge along the National Highway has also been completed.

Construction of the Overbridge has been decided as the Rail route is to crossed over the National Highway, the source explained.

The source further disclosed that with finalisation of yet another tender for construction of a large bridge in between Jiribam and Tupul, the tender bids related to drilling six tunnels were opened in January last.

As work on every sections in between 0.40 km and 9.9 km from Jiribam side have been completed, so far 85 percent have been covered and work in between 9.9 km and 15.88 km has been started along with dividing into three locations, the source informed.

There has also been progress in the geo-technical works related to the construction of a large bridge (No.37) at 14.9 km location from Jiribam towards Tupul.

The report of the soil and rock testing has already been send to the bridge designer consultant.

Work on construction of another large bridge (No.40) at 19.4 km location too has been started.

The width of the bridge would be 4 metre and the length would be 61 metre, the source disclosed adding that earth work and trace cutting being carried out at two locations in between 63.9 km and 81.5 km is doing well along with setting up three camps.

Similarly, there has been progress in the work related to drilling of tunnel no.24, 25, 26 and 27 in between 63.9 km and 81.5 km.

Necessary equipments and other machineries have already been despatched.

Informing that by-pass of the Railway line at Yurembam area is being looked into in the ongoing final location survey, the source explained that by-pass has been mooted as there would be no more land left if land for laying the rail line is to be acquired in addition to acquisition of the land for construction of a 400 KV sub-station at Yurembam.

The final location survey of the railway line from Tupul to Imphal is also being carried by RITES on war footing, the source added.

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