Changing city: Altered alignment of Orange Gate tunnel to end at Girgaon, tunnelling to begin soon

Once the tunnel is operational — targeted for mid to end 2028 — the same journey is expected to take about five minutes. The project will improve access from the Eastern Freeway to south Mumbai, the Coastal Road and further west. Given the high cost, the tunnel is likely to be tolled.

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been awarded the construction contract.

Alignment

From Orange Gate, the tunnel will descend and curve at P D’Mello Road before running east–west beneath the Old Elphinstone bridge at Chinch Bunder, railway tracks, the JJ Flyover, Bhendi Bazaar, Khetwadi and Lamington Road. It will then curve again to emerge near Jawahar Bal Bhavan, close to Charni Road station on Marine Drive.

At its deepest point near Lamington Road, the tunnel will be about 47 metres below ground. Including entry and exit ramps, the total length will be around 4 km.

The project was originally planned as two separate tunnels for eastbound and westbound traffic. The eastbound tunnel was to start at Lamington Road, aligned with the Coastal Road tunnels, while the westbound tunnel was to exit at D Road near Wankhede Stadium after passing beneath at least 16 heritage buildings on Marine Drive.

After the Marine Drive Citizens Association raised safety concerns, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority approved a realignment in early December. Under the revised plan, both tunnels will now enter and exit at Girgaon. Officials said the westbound tunnel will be shortened and the eastbound tunnel lengthened, with little change in overall cost. The exact impact is yet to be calculated.

Timeline

On December 3, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the TBM at Orange Gate. According to MMRDA officials, the machine has since been assembled and tunnelling is expected to begin soon. A second TBM is scheduled to arrive later in 2026.

The project’s official deadline is December 2028.

Cost

Rs 8,056 crore

Official speak

“While the Eastern Freeway allows citizens to reach South Mumbai from the eastern suburbs in 20–25 minutes, the subsequent traffic congestion adds another 30 to 45 minutes to the journey. Furthermore, residents of the western suburbs and South Mumbai have to take a long and arduous route to reach the new Navi Mumbai Airport. The Orange Gate tunnel was conceived as the solution to this problem,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said while launching the TBM.