BMC Awards NCC-J Kumar JV Contract for GMLR Twin Tunnels

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to grant the construction contract for two underground tunnels as part of the Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project to a joint venture between NCC, based in Hyderabad, and J Kumar Infra Projects, located in Mumbai.

The GMLR, which spans 12.2 kilometres, will connect the western suburb of Goregaon with the eastern suburb of Mulund, employing a network of arterial roads, underground tunnels, and bridges.

Back in October 2022, the BMC invited tenders for the construction of 4.7-km twin tunnels, estimated at Rs 62.37 billion. The submission deadline had to be extended four times due to requests from bidders. Out of the three firms submitting bids, the NCC-J Kumar Infra Projects joint venture emerged as the lowest bidder.

The GMLR project envisions a twin tunnel beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the only national park situated within a metropolitan area worldwide. This 4.7-km-long tunnel, with a diameter of approximately 13 meters, will commence at Film City in Goregaon and exit at Khindipada in Mulund. The tunnel's depth will vary from 20 to 160 meters, depending on the surrounding topography. Advanced features such as tunnel boring machines, ventilation, lighting systems, and electric surveillance will be incorporated into the construction.

The Goregaon Mulund Link Road project, with a budget of Rs 85.5 billion, aims to establish an east-west corridor to facilitate traffic movement, connecting the Western Express Highway at Goregaon to the Eastern Express Highway at Mulund. Currently, direct connectivity between these areas is lacking, forcing commuters to take a detour via Ghodbunder Road in Thane or Powai, both of which become heavily congested during peak hours.

The GMLR project has been divided into four phases, with the first and second phases currently in progress, encompassing the construction of flyovers, traffic interchanges, road widening, and additional traffic facilities.

According to P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner (projects), work on the twin tunnels, scheduled for the third phase, is expected to commence in October 2023, with a projected completion timeline of 60 months.