An explosion connected Ukraine and Europe (PHOTOS)

Celebrating the completion of the first phase of construction of a new railway tunnel in the Carpathians

A small explosion occured on the border of Transcarpathian and Lviv region. Builders "punched" a gateway linking the western and eastern sides of the new Beskyd tunnel. It was laid next to the old one whose service life has long expired.  And although it will be ready for railway traffic only in two years, today honored guests arrived at the Volovets pass in the Carpathians to celebrate this event.

 The head of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration Hennadiy Moskal, whose participation was announced by the press service of the railway, did not show up. But, instead of him, the chairman of the Lviv regional council Oleksandr Hanuschyn and the head of the Verkhovna Rada transport committee Yaroslav Dubnevych unexpectedly came to the celebration. 

Other honorable guests were the Minister of Regional Development Hennadiy Zubko and the Minister of Infrastructure Andriy Pivovarsky, the head of Lviv Regional State Administration Oleg Synyutka, the head of "Lviv Railway" Bogdan Pikh.

All together they pushed the detonator button – a small explosion occured in the tunnel, a cloud of dust flew out it, vehicles symbolically removed rocks out of the tunnel.

There is still much to do before the completion of the tunnel. The next step will be to deepen it by four meters. The tunnel will be reinforced, necessary utilities and devices will be laid and installed there.

In 2018, they plan to lay tracks in both directions, and in the second quarter to launch traffic in this new transport route. The capacity of the new tunnel will be 2.5 times more than that of the old one.

 Today, 60% of the traffic accros the western border, including transit, goes through the Beskyd. The new tunnel will allow to significantly increase the speed and volumes of goods transportation by railway.  

Source: ZAXID.NET