Mumbai’s Goregaon-Mulund Link Road to get Rs700-crore approach tunnel from Filmcity to Khindipada

The BMC wants to add a 1.65-km-long and 6-metre-deep box tunnel to the project, accruing an additional burden of Rs 700 crore

After adding three interchanges to the ambitious Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to widen the scope of the project. It wants to add a 1.65-km-long and 6-meter-deep box tunnel to the project, accruing an additional burden of Rs 700 crore.

The proposed road passes through the ecologically-sensitive Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

The plan now takes the total cost of the project to Rs2,700 crore. The box tunnel will work as an approach road to the 4.75-km six-lane tunnel, which will start from Film City at Goregaon and end at Khindipada.

The BMC had earlier planned a 1.65-km runway road above the ground leaing to the 4.75-km tunnel. However, Film City residents had raised objections to the stretch running through their land. They had then said that it would interfere with their activities and the proposed theme park. The BMC in May submitted a proposal to the collector for land acquisition.

“Instead of a 1.65-km road above the ground, we are taking it six-meter deep and constructing it as a box tunnel,” said a civic official. The box tunnel will allow the Film City to use the ground/land above it. Civic officials had earlier suggested foot bridges for pedestrians and sound barriers during construction work.

An official said the BMC would reply to the Union environment ministry next week, which had asked it to “clearly establish” the need for the proposed road, as it passes through the ecologically-sensitive Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).