The Sela tunnel project in Arunachal Pradesh along the China border will allow faster movement of weapons and soldiers in the Tawang sector. It has entered into a decisive phase. According to the Ministry of Defense, the final blast for one of the tunnels was conducted on Saturday and the excavation work of the project has been completed. The final blast for the Sela tunnel of 980 m was conducted virtually by the Director-General of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Rajeev Chaudhry. The project includes Tunnel 1 and 2, a 1,555 m twin-tube tunnel. The tunnels are coming up through two ridges west of the Sela Pass. The project also includes two road construction of 7 km and 1.3 km. Tunnel 2 has one bi-lane tube, one route for traffic and another escape tube for emergencies. The tunnels longer than 1,500 m have the escape passage. According to the sources, PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project in 2019, and the project is expected to complete by June 2022. The tunnel project of Rs 700 crore was announced by the central government in 2018. It will be the world's longest twin tunnel, 13,000 feet above the ground. It will reduce the travelling time to Tawang by one hour and also provide all-weather connectivity. Earlier, the Sela tunnel had logistics challenges for the army, with the movement of weapons and forces severely affected in the past three months. The tunnel is a part of the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang road and is one of the key strategic projects across the China border. Around 50 engineers and 500 workers were involved in the construction of the tunnel using the latest Austrian tunnelling techniques, including observing, studying the rock, and designing the tunnel as per the rock behaviour. Around 4,000 soldiers and army vehicles are expected to use the tunnel every day. The tunnel dimensions will support the movement of army vehicles and military hardware. The tunnel will increase the pace of movement of troops and enhance army logistics. Image Source Also read: MEIL makes major breakthrough in Zojila La tunnel project Also read: Kerala: PWD seeks MoEF nod for Wayanad mega tunnel | Kochi News