The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to realign the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) tunnels by 600 meters to avoid tribal farmlands in Film City, Goregaon East. This change will increase the original project cost of Rs.6,301 crore by an additional Rs 2.50 billion. The project involves constructing 4.7 km twin tunnels beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) hills.
The 12.2 km road will connect the Western Express Highway at Goregaon to the Eastern Express Highway at Mulund, helping reduce congestion on key routes like the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road, and Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road. The third phase of the project includes twin tunnels and a box tunnel beneath SGNP and Film City. The twin tunnels will each be 4.7 km long, and the box tunnel will span 1.6 km. With a diameter of about 13 meters, these tunnels will be dug to depths of 20 to 160 meters. The project faced obstacles due to opposition from two tribal hamlets, Habale Pada and Nagar Mudi Pada, located within Film City, which opposed the twin tunnels' construction.
A senior civic official explained that around 40 structures in Habale Pada would be affected by the tunnel work. While financial assistance of ?9.50 lakh per household was offered for relocation, the residents refused to move, citing their current location as their sole source of livelihood. After eight months of unsuccessful negotiations, it was decided to realign the tunnel shaft 600 meters to the west to avoid these areas. This adjustment is being expedited because the tunnel boring machine (TBM) is scheduled to arrive from China in March 2025, resulting in an additional cost of Rs.250 crore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project on July 13, and excavation will be done using a TBM. Civic officials have assured that the construction will not harm the natural environment of the SGNP, including its vegetation, wildlife habitats, Aarey, and Tulsi lakes. The GMLR project is being executed in four phases, with delays pushing the total cost to Rs.14,000 crore. Expected to be completed by 2028, this road will reduce travel time between Mulund and Goregaon from 75 minutes to 25 minutes, providing a seamless connection between the Eastern and Western suburbs.
