Travel between Thane and Borivali will soon take just 15 minutes with the Thane Borivali Twin Tunnel project now underway. The project is being carried out by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
At present, the 23-kilometre journey between Thane and Borivali takes around 60 to 90 minutes. Heavy traffic on Ghodbunder Road is the main reason for the delay. Once the tunnel is completed, the travel time is expected to drop sharply to just 15 minutes.
The project began on May 19, 2023. It is scheduled to be completed by May 2028. The total length of the project is 11.84 kilometres. Out of this, 10.25 kilometres will consist of twin tunnels.
A major part of the tunnel passes beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is an environmentally sensitive area. To reduce impact on the environment, advanced tunnel boring machines are being used. These machines allow construction work to continue with minimal disturbance.
One of the machines used in the project is Nayak, which is the largest single shield hard rock tunnel boring machine in India. Another machine named Arjuna is also expected to be deployed soon. Officials say these machines will make the excavation process safe and cause minimum disruption.
Each of the twin tunnels will have three lanes. This includes an emergency lane. Cross passageways will be built at intervals of every 300 metres to improve safety and access. The tunnels will also include modern systems such as ventilation, firefighting equipment, smoke detectors and LED-based information displays.
The project also includes the construction of connecting roads. These roads will link Ghodbunder Road in Thane to the Western Express Highway. This is expected to improve overall connectivity in the region. Officials view the Thane Borivali Twin Tunnel as a long-term infrastructure project. The project is being seen as a step towards sustainable urban development.