CONSTRUCTION OF LONGEST TUNNEL IN NORTH AFRICA PROGRESSING WELL

Good Progress reported on the construction of longest tunnel in North Africa.

China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) which is working on Algeria’s Gantas railway tunnel – the longest railway tunnel in North Africa, has officially announced the successful cutting through of the tunnel.

The Chinese firm said that this is a major breakthrough in the construction project which have lasted about six years, as the rocky terrain had been a challenge that even lead to he suspension of the project in 2011.

The Vice President of the CRCC, Wang Wenzhong, has said that the tunnel would be a turning point in northern Algeria’s railway system and would also help to boost economic growth.

The Algerian government also believes that the new railway would be beneficial in improving the country’s transportation system as it will cut travel time between Algiers and Oran from four hours to two hours.

The Gantas tunnel has already created more than 4,100 jobs for local people.

The tunnel is located 100 kilometers west of Algiers, capital of Algeria, it is made up of 2 separate tubes at 7,346 meters long in one lane and 7,335 meters long in the other, with one track each.

The total length of the tunnel is 14.68 kilometers, making it the longest railway tunnel in North Africa.