• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Mumbai's first underground tunnel under the Metro network was completed on Thursday with a breakthrough by Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), named 'Disha'. The 1.647-km tunnel, constructed between Andheri (East) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, marks a significant development in the extension of Metro Line-7A, officials said.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is implementing the project, hailed the achievement as a “monumental milestone” and an “engineering marvel” in a post on X. The tunnel, with a finished diameter of 6.35 metres, is part of the extension of Metro Line 7, which currently runs between Dahisar (East) and Andheri (East).

Metro Line-7A will enhance connectivity to the international airport and offer interchange with other Metro lines. The 3.4-km corridor, partly elevated and partly underground, runs parallel to the Western Express Highway and Sahar Elevated Road.

ALSO READ: Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway: Samruddhi E-way Final Stretch From Igatpuri To Amane Likely To Open On May 1 | Details

Excavation for the underground section began in September 2023. The breakthrough occurred near Bamanwada in Andheri (East), in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and MMRDA officials, including Commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee and Additional Commissioners Vikram Kumar and Ashwin Mudgal.

ALSO READ: BJP Attacks Gandhi Family Over ED Chargesheet In National Herald Case: 'Modi Govt Will Put Corrupt Behind Bars'

In a related development, MMRDA also commenced trial runs on Wednesday on the Mandale to Diamond Garden section of Metro Line 2B, stretching from DN Nagar in the west to Mandale, Mankhurd in the east, further expanding Mumbai’s growing Metro network.

(With PTI Inputs)