Goregaon-Mulund Link Road: East-West link set to transform suburban traffic

PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Goregaon Mulund Link Road project, emphasizing connectivity for development. The project aims to decongest Mumbai

Mumbai: When prime minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the third phase of the ambitious Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project on July 13, he harped on the link between connectivity and development.

The GMLR, a long-pending project of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, will be a 14-km long road, with a combination of tunnels and an elevated road. (HT Photo)

“Zyada se zyada connectivity, utna hi tez vikas (the more the connectivity, the faster the development),” he said, referring to the much-delayed GMLR project, which is touted as the most important link between the Western Express Highway (WEH) at Goregaon and the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at Mulund.

Envisioned in four phases, the project spans a 12.20-km road including two tunnels under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). It is expected to vastly decongest the existing road network in the suburbs and reduce the travel time from the existing 90 minutes to 25 minutes. The estimated cost of the project is ₹14,000 crore and it is scheduled to be opened to the public in November 2028.

Though work on the project commenced in 2016-17, when a consultant was appointed to prepare a detailed project report (DPR), it has been beset with delays. A strata verification study to build a tunnel underneath the SGNP was completed after almost two years in 2018, after which permissions and no objection certificates were sought from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change and other relevant bodies. The project then hit a roadblock for two years in 2020, mainly due to pandemic. The tendering process began after forest clearance was received in December 2022.

Once completed, GMLR would be the only east-west connector in the city as the existing Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) between central Mumbai and Ghodbunder Road in the northern part of Mumbai skirts around the 19-km long SGNP.

No land is likely to be acquired for the project as it is totally underground and includes two tunnels being built at a cost of ₹6,301.08 crore and a dedicated cattle path covered with polycarbonate material, said officials.

“The proposed tunnels will protect the environment without harming SGNP, Aarey, and the Vihar and Tulsi lakes as advanced environment and disaster management plans would be implemented,” said a civic official from the bridges department.

The tunnels will be excavated using a tunnel boring machine with a diameter of approximately 14.2 metres and equipped with lighting, ventilation, fire protection, and CCTV surveillance, as well as control rooms situated at both ends, said the official.

“Utility provisions within the tunnels will include channels for rainwater management and potential future water supply needs,” he said.

While the project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 22,400 tons annually, the BMC has submitted a proposal to the tree authority to evaluate around 1,000 trees, which will either be cut down or transplanted.

Currently, work is underway on the preliminary design, station surveys, soil investigation and temporary road diversions. “Seven ground plus 23 storey residential buildings and a ground plus three storey market building are being constructed to accommodate project affected people, including residents and businesses,” said the official quoted earlier.