Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 26 (ANI): The first tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for Phase 3(B) of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project has completed nine metres of excavation, marking a key milestone in the construction of the twin tunnels under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Wednesday.
Under Phase 3(B) of the GMLR project, twin three-lane tunnels are being constructed over a 5.30-km stretch between Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari (Film City) in Goregaon East and Amar Nagar in Mulund West.
The tunnels are being excavated using a tunnel boring machine named 'Tulsi', with the first TBM commissioned on August 17.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar visited and inspected the project site on Wednesday and reviewed the tunnelling methodology, ongoing excavation work, project progress and related technical aspects.
During the inspection, Bangar reviewed measures planned to ensure safety during tunnelling, operational efficiency of the machinery, construction quality and timely completion of the project.
With the commencement of actual tunnel excavation, the project has reached an important milestone, the civic body said. Bangar directed officials to take immediate measures to maintain the pace of excavation and deploy additional manpower wherever required.
He also stressed that tunnelling is a highly technical and challenging operation and directed officials to accord the highest priority to workers' safety and strictly enforce all safety regulations.
Meanwhile, 70 per cent of the assembly work involving the components of the second TBM has been completed.
Bangar directed officials to complete the entire assembly work by September 30, 2026. Once the machinery is fully installed at the project site, the Site Acceptance Test (SAT) will commence from October 1 to physically verify the efficient and safe functioning of the machinery and ensure that all systems operate together properly.
He further directed officials to subsequently plan the actual tunnel excavation process. Chief Engineer (Bridges) Rajesh Mule, along with other concerned officials and consultants, was present during the inspection.
The GMLR is a major east-west connectivity project aimed at improving connectivity between Goregaon and Mulund and easing traffic movement across Mumbai. (ANI)
GMLR project: First TBM completes nine metres of excavation for twin tunnels under Sanjay Gandhi National Park
