OREANDA-NEWS  On 28 November was announced, that the construction of the Alabyano-Baltiysky tunnel near Sokol subway station of the Moscow Metro will be launched in the last week of November 2008, Aleksandr Levchenko, head of Department of Road and Bridge Engineering of Moscow, said.

“The uniqueness of the project Bolshaya Leningradka lies in developing the three-level road interchange at the junction of Leningradsky Avenue and Volokolamskoe Highway. These large trunk roads are crossing Alabyana Street and Baltiyskaya Street. This section is utterly busy. That is why, due to the order by City Hall, it was decided to build a tunnel and a highway towards Volokolamskoe Highway as well as an underground link between Alabyana Street and Baltiyskaya Street,” the official specified.

According to him, all the works are supervised by the experts from the Drive Control Centre. Besides, the centre is controlling the conditions of the existent tunnels below which the new one will be driven. “We take the risk of shifting the existent tunnels a little due to high pressure during the construction. So, the special sensors showing a pressure level has been set inside them to avoid it. If the level overtops the allowable standards, the drilling will be stopped,” Mr Levchenko added.

The Alabyano-Baltiysky tunnel is expected to be opened for traffic in 2010.