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Mumbai Tunnel Breakthrough: Park Project Underway
26 Aug
Summary
- First tunnel boring machine for GMLR project has started excavation.
- Twin tunnels will connect Goregaon East to Mulund West under a national park.
- Project aims to cut travel time between suburbs from 90 to 20 minutes.
Excavation has begun for the first of two three-lane tunnels integral to Mumbai's Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project. A Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), named Tulsi, has initiated its work, having already excavated nine meters. This 5.3-kilometer twin tunnel system is designed to link Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in Goregaon East with Amar Nagar in Mulund West, passing beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
The broader GMLR project, spanning over 12 kilometers from the Western Express Highway to the Eastern Express Highway, aims to establish a direct and efficient east-west corridor. Municipal officials recently inspected the site, emphasizing the need to maintain excavation pace and adhere to strict safety protocols. The assembly of the second TBM is nearing completion, with testing scheduled to commence in early October.
Upon completion, the GMLR is projected to dramatically decrease travel time between the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai from approximately 90 minutes to a mere 20 minutes. This infrastructure improvement is also expected to alleviate congestion on existing roads, enhance emergency response times, and support commercial and industrial traffic, thereby reducing overall pressure on the city's road network.
