Work on Mumbai’s ambitious Goregaon–Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project is entering a critical phase, with tunnelling preparations and flyover construction progressing in parallel. Civic officials have confirmed that the process of lowering the massive tunnel boring machines (TBMs) into the launching shaft will begin in March, marking a major milestone in the long-awaited east–west road corridor.
At the same time, commuters are set to get early relief even before the entire project is completed. A 1.3-km flyover stretching from near the Dindoshi court in Goregaon East up to the Ratnagiri Hotel Junction flyovers is expected to be completed and opened to traffic by May 31. Officials said the flyover will help ease congestion in the area and improve traffic movement while underground tunnelling work continues.
The Goregaon–Mulund Link Road project, being executed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), aims to provide a direct road connection between the Western Express Highway at Goregaon and the Eastern Express Highway at Mulund. Once operational, it is expected to significantly cut travel time between the eastern and western suburbs and reduce pressure on existing arterial roads.
A major component of the project is the construction of a 4.7-km twin tunnel beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, making it one of Mumbai’s most complex underground infrastructure efforts. In addition, a 1.6-km box tunnel will pass through the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari (Film City) area. To manage the increased traffic that the new link is expected to generate, flyovers are being built on both ends of the tunnel alignment.
To facilitate tunnelling, a massive launching shaft has been excavated in Goregaon. The shaft measures approximately 200 metres in length, 50 metres in width and 30 metres in depth. Excavation work at the site has been completed, and the installation of specialised cradles required to lower and launch the TBMs is currently underway. The operation will involve two heavy-duty cranes with lifting capacities of 800 metric tonnes and 350 metric tonnes. One crane has already been mobilised at the site, while the second is expected to arrive later this month.
On the eastern side, another key element of the GMLR project is progressing in Mulund. A 1.9-km-long flyover is under construction between the Tansa water pipeline and the Nahur railway bridge. This stretch also includes a 120-metre cable-stayed bridge at Dr Hedgewar Chowk, which is being built at the first level below the proposed Metro Line 4. Officials have acknowledged that traffic diversions in this zone have resulted in congestion, particularly due to vehicles being funnelled through a narrow underpass.
Additional municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar visited the project site on Wednesday to review progress. Officials said priority is now being given to completing a smaller flyover on the northern side of the Tansa pipeline before the onset of the monsoon. Once opened, this structure is expected to substantially ease traffic congestion in Mulund West.
With tunnelling set to begin soon and key flyovers nearing completion, the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road project is gradually moving towards reshaping east–west connectivity in Mumbai.
Source: The Times of India
