Mumbai’s ambitious Orange Gate–Marine Drive twin tunnel project has entered a crucial phase, with the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) named “Mavala” successfully completing 70 metres of underground excavation.
The tunnelling work began in December 2025 from the launching shaft at Orange Gate under the supervision of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
The 9.2-kilometre-long twin tunnel project is being developed to provide faster connectivity between the Eastern Freeway and Marine Drive, significantly reducing travel time across South Mumbai. Once completed, commuters are expected to travel between Orange Gate and Marine Drive in just five to seven minutes.
MMRDA stated that the “Mavala” TBM has already completed 70 metres of tunnelling out of the planned 3,720 metres for one stretch. Authorities estimate that the machine may take around one-and-a-half years to complete the underground excavation work. A second TBM, being brought from Germany, will soon join the project to speed up construction.
The project, estimated to cost over INR 9,000 crore, is considered one of Mumbai’s most technically challenging infrastructure developments because the tunnel alignment passes beneath dense urban areas, heritage precincts, railway corridors, and hundreds of buildings.
The tunnels are being constructed at depths ranging from 12 to 52 metres underground using advanced slurry-shield TBM technology designed for Mumbai’s coastal geological conditions.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier launched the TBM operations and directed officials to target project completion by June 2028, ahead of the original deadline.
The tunnel is expected to become a major east-west transport corridor connecting South Mumbai to the Coastal Road, Eastern Freeway, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.
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