Yusuf Rana | Mumbai
Wire Centre
Goregaon Mulund Link Road Tunnel: A major milestone has been achieved in Mumbai’s ambitious Goregaon–Mulund Link Road (GMLR) Project, with tunnelling work officially beginning on Monday, August 17, 2026. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has commenced excavation of the first of two massive underground tunnels connecting Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari (Film City) in Goregaon East with Amar Nagar in Mulund West, passing beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The project is using advanced Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology to construct two parallel tunnels, each designed with three traffic lanes. The giant TBM being used for the excavation has been named “Tulsi.”
Goregaon Mulund Link Road Tunnel – 5.3-Km Twin Tunnel Under Mumbai’s Green Belt.
Under Phase 3(B) of the GMLR project, two tunnels with a combined underground corridor length of approximately 5.30 km are being constructed beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The project has been planned with special attention to environmental protection and biodiversity, with the tunnel construction designed to minimise any adverse impact on the forest ecosystem above. The wider Phase 3(B) package includes 17 cross passages, 720 metres of twin box tunnels and 600 metres of approach roads at Goregaon and Mulund, taking the total length of the package to approximately 6.62 km.
Goregaon Mulund Link Road Tunnel – From 90 Minutes to Just 20 Minutes?
Once the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road is completed, it is expected to establish a direct connection between Mumbai’s Western Express Highway and Eastern Express Highway. According to the BMC, the project could significantly reduce travel time between Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs — potentially bringing a journey that currently takes around 90 minutes down to nearly 20 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. The project is also expected to reduce congestion, save fuel and travel time, improve emergency response connectivity and strengthen commercial and industrial movement across the city.
The tunnels will feature several modern systems, including mechanical ventilation, a mist-based firefighting system, CCTV surveillance, a SCADA control system, LED lighting, modern road signage, utility ducts beneath the roadway, and 1,800-mm-diameter water pipelines in each tunnel. The project will also include cross passages constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).
Goregaon Mulund Link Road Tunnel – Project Progress and Completion Target
The BMC has stated that the project has achieved approximately 21% physical progress. The first TBM has been assembled and its Site Acceptance Test (SAT) has been successfully completed, while assembly of the second TBM is currently underway, with excavation by TBM-2 planned to begin from October 2026. The entire project is targeted for completion by February 2029.
The project has received the required environmental clearances from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under Phase 1 and Phase 2, and necessary tree-felling permission has also been obtained from the Supreme Court. Around 906 project-affected persons are being rehabilitated at Kanjurmarg in six buildings comprising ground plus 23 floors. For quality control and project monitoring, Tipsya India Private Limited has been appointed as the Project Management Consultant (PMC), IIT Mumbai has been appointed as the Proof Checking Consultant, and VJTI Mumbai is serving as the Third-Party Quality Auditor. The contractor will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the project for 10 years after completion.
Goregaon Mulund Link Road Tunnel – A New Chapter in Mumbai’s Road Infrastructure
The Goregaon–Mulund Link Road is a 12.20-km infrastructure project being implemented in four phases to create a stronger east-west road connection across Mumbai. With the start of underground excavation, one of Mumbai’s most ambitious road infrastructure projects has now entered a crucial construction phase. If completed as planned, the GMLR tunnel corridor could become a major alternative route for commuters and play a significant role in reducing pressure on Mumbai’s existing road network. Wire Centre will continue to track the progress of the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road and Mumbai’s major infrastructure projects.
