Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground tunnel extension gets coastal road authority approval

The underground tunnel was earlier planned to terminate at Maratha Bhavan on Marine Drive but will now extend further and end near the PM Hindu Swimming Bath & Boat Club, popularly called Mafatlal Swimming Pool, near Girgaum Chowpatty.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) approved the proposed extension of the Orange Gate-Marine Drive tunnel on April 19, MMRDA officials said on Sunday. The tunnel will connect the Eastern Freeway and Atal Setu to the Coastal Road.

Similarly, the ongoing repair works at Marine Drive has caused huge inconvenience to the citizens. (Kunal Patil/HT photo)

The underground tunnel was earlier planned to terminate at Maratha Bhavan on Marine Drive but will now extend further and end near the PM Hindu Swimming Bath & Boat Club, popularly called Mafatlal Swimming Pool, near Girgaum Chowpatty.

MMRDA said the tunnel’s end point is being pushed further north based on a recommendation by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Government sources said the reason is to avoid traffic congestion along the Queen’s Necklace, the iconic tourist haunt.

The ₹7,500-crore project received Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance on March 7, 2024. According to the original plan, the right side alignment was to be 3.547 km long and the left side was to be 5.687 km long. However, design changes emerged during execution.

As per the revised design, the revised length of the right side alignment is 4.6 km and the left side is 4.9 km.

The project aims to reduce traffic congestion at P D’Mello Junction and provide a seamless East-West connectivity across the city. It includes two tunnels, originating at the Eastern Freeway, with one exit planned at the Mumbai Coastal Road near Saifee Hospital.

MMRDA said that according to current traffic projections, the tunnel’s original design would result in significant vehicular congestion at Marine Drive due to a surge in tunnel exit traffic. The existing lanes will not be able to handle this surge in traffic.

Hence, to accommodate the expected surge, expanding the existing Marine Drive lane configuration, with four lanes towards Nariman Point and four lanes towards P D’Mello Road and MbPT parking, was proposed, which has now been approved.