With a third critical 'breakthrough' achieved in the longest tunnel coming up on 'Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddi Mahamarg' at Igatpuri in Nashik, the construction company, Afcons is hopeful of completing both the tunnels by September-end, officials said here on Tuesday. The third breakthrough on the right hand side tunnel was completed on Tuesday - three months ahead of schedule - by teams of Afcons Infrastructure Ltd on the Package 14 of the Greenfield project of Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway.

"This breakthrough makes the north portal connectivity to south portal direct and seamless through the right hand side tunnel. We plan to achieve the final breakthrough by September-end and complete both the tubes," said Afcons Project Manager Sekhar Das. The development comes over five weeks after the Shapoorji Pallonji Group company notched a breakthrough on June 29 on the 7.78 kms long tunnel and 35 metres wide (17.50 metres in each tube) coming up between Igatpuri (Nashik) and Vashala (Thane) in a hilly forested region.