OREANDA-NEWS. July 30, 2012. Commissioning of a tunnel at the 86th kilometer of "Kavkaz" motorway was inaugurated on July 12. It took only one and a half years for the builders of SK MOST Group of Companies to build a 310-meter long tunnel, a 63-meter long avalanche protection gallery, a number of retaining walls, and a service building.

Drilling and blasting were used for tunneling at picket 86+300 of "Kavkaz" motorway. Temporary shoring was provided using state-of-the art technologies. Anchor shoring was done using Swellex anchors, and Maccaferri steel fibers were used in lieu of reinforcement mesh for concrete spraying. Rebar cages were replaced with Maccaferri steel fibers for permanent tunnel lining, which expedited the work significantly.

A 63-meter long avalanche protection gallery was put in place on the southern tunnel entry side to protect against rock slides and landslides. A service building was erected at the northern tunnel entry and the entry site was landscaped. Retaining walls PS1, PS2, and PS4 and a retaining wall uphill were built.

SK MOST Group of Companies teams have also completed the work on all utility systems including lighting, video surveillance, communications, and security alarm systems.

Operations on site began in December 2010. The tunnel was tied on September 1, 2011, and the State Commission accepted the project on June 29, 2012.

The tunneling and temporary shoring were conducted using Boomer XE3C Drilling Rig, Boltec LC Bolting Rig. Toro LH410 Wheel Loader, Shraymec 7110WPC Concrete Sprayer Truck, Transmix 3000 Underground Concrete Mixer, MoAZ 7405 Underground Trucks, Libherr R944C Tunneling Excavator, and Utility 2000 BAQ NP Underground Lift Platform. BAYSTAG shutters were used for erecting the permanent lining.