MMRDA plans Rs 11,235 crore underground road connecting Borivali and Thane

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) will construct an underground road connecting Mumbai's western suburb of Borivali to adjoining Thane city, and once completed it will considerably reduce the commuting time between the two locations, Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday.

In a statement here, he said the estimated cost of the project is Rs 11,235.43 crore and two tunnels connecting Thane and Borivali would make travel between them faster for commuters and also help in reducing traffic congestion on the busy Godhbunder Road in the adjoining city.

The current 60-minute travel time between Thane and Borivali will be cut to just 15 to 20 minutes and the project will also lead to a reduction of 10.5 lakh metric tonnes of fuel, the minister said.

The project, which is scheduled to begin in March 2022, is expected to take five-and-a-half years to complete, the minister said.

The route would feature an 11.8-kilometer-long road and 10.25-kilometer-long two three-lane tunnels to be built beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, running from Tikuji-Ni-Wadi in Thane to the western expressway in Borivali, the statement said.

Considering the tunnels will pass through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, state-run MSRDC has taken special precautions to avoid causing harm to the park's biodiversity by using a tunnel boring machinery to avoid upsetting animals and flora, the minister said.

The Thane-Borivali tunnels would necessitate the acquisition of 16.54 hectares of private land and 40.46 hectares of land within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The initiative will contribute to a 36 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and assist in the maintenance of environmental balance, the minister said.

Shinde said, “The detailed project report (DPR) for the Thane-Borivali subterranean tunnel has been completed, and land acquisition work has started. We've taken extra care as this tunnel will pass through Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and we'll be using tunnel boring technology to avoid disrupting the park's biodiversity.'' The project is also excluded from the need for environmental clearances, he said.

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