Mumbai: BMC completes excavation of first tunnel for Coastal Road Project

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday completed excavation of the first tunnel from Priyadarshini Park towards Marine Drive for the Mumbai Coastal Road with the help of India's largest 'Mawla' TBM plant. As part of the 10.58-km coastal road project from Princess Street Flyover at Marine Lines to the Worli end of Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the BMC is constructing 2.07-km twin tunnels between Priyadarshini Park to Girgaon Chowpatty passing under Malabar Hill and the Arabian Sea near the coast. The 'breakthrough' of this tunnel mining work took place today at Girgaon Chowpatty.

The tourism and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, who along with the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray were virtually present on the occasion, said the excavation for the second tunnel will commence in April 2022. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2023, which is ahead of next assembly elections slated for 2024.

Thackeray lauded his team for taking efforts to achieve this progress. The CM said, "It is difficult to make dreams come true but I am proud of my team working hard to fulfill these dreams of Mumbaikars."

Thackeray further said that the task of connecting the two ends under the sea is very challenging. ‘’In 1995, the Shiv Sena-BJP government built 55 flyovers in Mumbai but they are not enough now for traveling, the CM said and assured that the coastal road project will be completed on time.

‘’The Mumbai Coastal Road is making great strides, and we are committed to completing it by December 2023 and proudly opening it in the service of Mumbaikars,’’ said Aaditya. On January 11, 2021, CM had launched India’s biggest tunnel boring machine ‘’Mawla’’ to dig an underpass for the coastal road, setting in motion an engineering magnificence. ‘’Today, just a day short of a year, we now behold the fruit of this vision,’’ noted Aaditya.