In a first of its kind, Mumbai’s undersea twin tunnels are nearing completion after more than two years of construction involving 35 men and a Chinese Tunnel Boring machine.
The undersea twin tunnels in South Mumbai, which are part of the INR 12,721 crore Coastal Road Project, are set to open by November 2023.
With this, the aim is to reduce 45-minute commute from Girgaon to Worli to just 10 minutes during peak hours by linking Marine Drive to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
The tunnels, which have a diameter of 12.19 metres, run 17-20 m below sea level and stretch 2.07 km from Girgaon near Marine Drive, extending north under the Arabian Sea, Girgaon Chowpatty, and Malabar Hill, and concluding at Breach Candy’s Priyadarshini Park.
It will feature six cross passages or crosswalks, four for pedestrians and two for motorists, and each tunnel will have three 3.2-meter-wide channels. The tunnels reached their deepest point at 72 metres near Malabar Hill.
The tunnel entry and exit points are designed to have fibreglass facades resembling the Queen's Necklace, a famous C-shaped promenade on Marine Drive.
Reports stated that two lanes in each tunnel will be operational, and the third will be used in case of an emergency or if the vehicular density increases.
The project also highlights the usage of India's largest ever tunnel boring machine (TBM), Mavala, weighing over 1,700 tonnes and standing about 12 meters tall, in honor of Shivai's Koli and Kunbi combat specialists.
While the boring work began in January 2021, the TBM assembly and launch began a year ago. Mavala is broken into three pieces and is manufactured by the China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Company Ltd (CRCHI).
Share
Tweet
