- By Aditya Jha
- Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:14 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a major update for the commuters, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) informed that the Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground road tunnel has recently achieved a key milestone. In its statement, the authority informed that the ambitious tunnel boring machine (TBM) has completed 70 meters of excavation. The tunnel project will significantly boost the regional connectivity and will reduce the travel time between Orange Gate and Marine Drive to just five minutes.
In its statement, the authority asserted that despite the challenging coastal geology, the project achieved a crucial breakthrough recently. "Purpose-built for Mumbai’s challenging coastal geology, the Tunnel Boring Machine- India's largest slurry shield TBM for an urban road tunnel- achieved a crucial breakthrough recently and has since advanced rapidly, excavating an impressive 70 metres within a few days," the MMRDA said in its statement.
The authority further stated that the Eastern Freeway has boosted the regional connectivity in South Mumbai by linking Mankhurd to Chembur Junction. However, the construction of a new tunnel project was proposed after several regions, especially Orange Gate, have witnessed severe traffic congestion in the past few years.
Once completed, the project will boost the connectivity between the east and west coasts of the southern parts of the city. Apart from this, it will also connect the Coastal Road with Atal Setu and will further reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption, and emissions.
The authority has proposed the construction of twin tunnels of over 7 kilometers to improve the connectivity in this region. The first tunnel passes beneath the Central and Western Railway corridors as well as Mumbai Metro Line 3, providing major relief to the daily commuters.
Along with cutting the travel time, the project will also reduce the traffic congestion from the key regions of the city.