Thane-Borivali Tunnel Work Begins

Thane, Apr 7 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday launched the work on the 11.84 km Thane-Borivali twin tunnel which will pass under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).



The road tunnel, which will shorten the distance between the north-western Mumbai suburb of Borivali and Thane city, is expected to be completed by May 2028, Fadnavis said on this occasion.


"This is a green project.... 11,000 trees will be planted as part of the compensatory measures. Since the structure is entirely underground, biodiversity in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park remains protected," he said.

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde would personally follow up on the project's progress, Fadnavis further said.

The project is being implemented by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Four massive Hard Rock Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), including 'Nayak' and 'Arjun,' which weigh 2,500 tonnes each with 13.34-meter diameter cutterheads, will be used for the work, MMRDA officials said.

The six-lane underground road will reduce the distance between Thane and Borivali from 23 km to 12 km, slashing travel time from 90 minutes to just 15 minutes. It will also provide a bypass for vehicles coming from Nashik, Kalyan, and Navi Mumbai, decongesting Ghodbunder Road.