PM Modi To Launch GMLR Phase-3 Work: How Twin Tunnels Under SGNP Could Help Alleviate Mumbai’s Traffic Woes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday lay the foundation stone for Mumbai’s ambitious Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project (Phase 3).

The GMLR project, across a length of 12.20 kilometers, is divided into four phases. The entire project is estimated to cost Rs 14,000 crore. Phase 3 of the project involves construction of twin tunnels, each 4.7 kilometers long, under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), at an estimated cost of Rs 6,300 crore.

Led by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the twin tunnel project will link Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs.

Here’s everything you need to know about the GMLR, twin tunnels and how it will help Mumbaiites:

THE TWIN TUNNELS

• The twin tunnels will be 4.7 kilometers in length and 45.70 meters in width.
• The total length of the road, inclusive of connecting roads and other components, will be 6.65 kilometers.
• The tunnels will be situated 20 to 160 meters below the ground and will be interconnected every 300 meters.
• The excavation will be carried out using tunnel boring machines (TBM) with a diameter of about 14.2 meters.

THE FEATURES

The tunnels will have modern lighting, ventilation systems, fire safety mechanisms, CCTV, and control rooms at both ends. Beneath the tunnels, utility conduits for stormwater drainage and potential future water supply will be installed.

TAKING CARE OF FLORA AND FAUNA

• During the construction, the flora, fauna, and areas like Aarey, Vihar, and Tulsi lakes within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park will not be disturbed.
• No land within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park has been acquired for this project.
• Animal pathways will be constructed for the safe passage of wildlife.
• This project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 22,400 tons annually.

HOW GMLR WILL HELP MUMBAIITES, EASE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT

• The fourth major road connecting Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs, the GMLR will particularly help ease traffic movement in North Mumbai.
• This project will create a new link road between the suburbs, significantly reducing traffic congestion. It will provide a direct connection from the western suburbs to the proposed new airport in Navi Mumbai and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
• Vehicles traveling to the Nashik Highway will also benefit from this project. The travel distance will be reduced by approximately 8.80 kilometers compared to the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road. The travel time between Goregaon and Mulund will reduce from 75 minutes to roughly 25 minutes, leading to significant fuel savings and improved air quality in Mumbai.

4 PHASES OF GMLR

• Phase 1: Widening of the existing flyover (ROB) near Nahur Railway Station.
• Phase 2: Expansion of the 30-meter-wide road to 45.70 meters.
• Phase 3 (A) will see the construction of flyovers and elevated rotary intersections.
• Phase 3 (B) will include the construction of a 1.22-kilometer-long cut-and-cover tunnel with three lanes each near Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in Goregaon and the 4.7-kilometer twin tunnels under Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
• Phase 4 will involve constructing a proposed two-level flyover from Nahur to Airoli Toll Plaza, crossing the Eastern Express Highway, and building an underpass for vehicles at the junction of the Western Express Highway and GMLR.