Mumbai coastal road: Maha CM launches tunnel boring machine

Maharashtra Chief Minister UddhavThackeray on Monday launched a Tunnel Boring Machine TBM,touted as the biggest in India, for the Mumbai Coastal RoadProject.The TBM will dig nearly 4-km-long tunnels as part ofthe ambitious Coastal Road project--an under construction22.2-km long freeway that would run along Mumbais westerncoastline connecting Marine Lines in the south to Kandivali inthe north.The tunnels are expected to be ready by June 2022, asenior civic official said.CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray launched Mavla, thebiggest Tunnel Boring Machine TBM in India.

Maharashtra Chief Minister UddhavThackeray on Monday launched a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM),touted as the biggest in India, for the Mumbai Coastal RoadProject.

The TBM will dig nearly 4-km-long tunnels as part ofthe ambitious Coastal Road project--an under construction22.2-km long freeway that would run along Mumbai's westerncoastline connecting Marine Lines in the south to Kandivali inthe north.

The tunnels are expected to be ready by June 2022, asenior civic official said.

''CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray launched 'Mavla', thebiggest Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) in India. This massive TBMwill undertake tunnel boring work for the Mumbai Coastal RoadProject beginning from Priyadarshini Park to the PrincessStreet flyover,'' the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) tweeted.

Soldiers of 17th Century Maratha king ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj were called as 'mavlas'.

While addressing the TBM launch function, Thackerayrecalled that the erstwhile Sena-BJP coalition government inMaharashtra built 55 flyovers in Mumbai to ease traffic woesof citizens after coming to power for the first time in 1995.

''Now even those bridges are proving inadequate. Butthe Coastal Road will be useful as the people from suburbswill directly be able to travel to south Mumbai without facingthe city traffic,'' he said.

He said the Sena had conceived this sea route before2012. ''The idea was that this would be the only sea linkconnecting the Bandra-Worli sea link,'' the CM added.

''Mumbai will win the fight for its development afterthe megapolis emerged successful in its battle against COVID-19. Mumbai did such a job in the fight against COVID-19 thatthe world should take a note of it. Similarly, we will beahead in the development of Mumbaikars too,'' Thackeray said.

The TBM has a diameter of 12.19 metres, ''the largestin the country,'' the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in astatement.

''There will be 400-metre-long tunnels beneath the seaon the coastal road project and the TBM will help drill those.

The two tunnels, 2.07 km-long each, will be 10 metres to 70metres deep sub-surface. 20 per cent of the total project workhas been completed till now,'' it said.

The proposed Coastal Road will have a 4+4 laneconfiguration comprising roads based on reclamation, besidesbridges, elevated roads and tunnels, the Mumbai civic bodysaid.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) officials, once completed, the Coastal Road will cutdown the travel time between south and north Mumbai, decongestexisting roads and reduce the air and noise pollution levels.

Besides, public transport service will improve througha dedicated BRTS and much-needed additional green spaces willbe generated.

''For speedy execution, the project is divided intothree packages between Priyadarshini Park to Baroda Palace(Package-I), Baroda Palace to the South-end of Bandra WorliSea Link (Package-II), and Princess Street Flyover toPriyadarshini Park (Package-IV). The twin tunnels, which arepart of the package-IV will be bored using the TBM,'' officialssaid.

These tunnels will be bored between Priyadarshani Parkand Chhota Chowpatty at Marine drive.

The length of each tunnel is 2.07 kilometres and itwill take 9 months to dig out a tunnel and 18 months for both,they said, adding that three lanes will be constructed in eachtunnel for traffic.

''By June 202, both the tunnels will be completed. Thework of the first tunnel is expected to be completed byAugust-September (in 2021),'' BMC commissioner Iqbal SinghChahalsaid on the occasion. PTI KK/ENMNSK NSK