Goregaon Mulund Link Road: BMC approves realignment of 6.5-km twin tunnels

Initially, the twin tunnels were to pass below the tribal hamlets of Habale Pada and Nagarmudi Pada, which are located within the periphery of SGNP. The alignment of the tunnels lay directly under the farmlands on which the tribal communities are dependent for their livelihood. The tribal communities had voiced their concern over this and held several meetings with the civic authorities urging them to reconsider the alignment of the tunnels.

The alignment has been shifted 600 metres towards the eastern side, and the tunnels will now pass below the forest and hillocks without affecting the farmlands.

Officials said construction has already begun and tunnel boring will begin early next year. “In the first quarter of 2025, the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) are set to arrive from China. The new alignments pass below Film City and this will not affect the agrarian land. The new alignment also requires some additional boring work on both sides of a few hundred metres that has led to escalation in cost,” said a senior civic official.

The civic authorities have already identified a land parcel inside Film City where the shaft for the TBM is being dug. After the TBM arrives, it will be assembled at the spot and lowered to the shaft from where boring work will begin. Civic officials said the boring work for the first tunnel will begin from the western suburbs and, at the eastern end, the TBM will be taken out. The boring of the second tunnel would begin from the eastern suburbs.

The 12-km-long GMLR will traverse towards the east from the Western Express Highway (WEH) and extend till Mulund in the eastern suburbs. At present there’s no direct connectivity between these two parts of the city and travel time during peak hours range from 75 to 90 minutes. After the GMLR is ready, travel time between these two points will come down to 25 minutes.