Mumbai GMLR tunnelling gains pace; second TBM assembly due by September 30

The Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project in Mumbai has reached another tunnelling milestone, with the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) completing nine metres of excavation beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

The work is part of Phase 3(B), which involves twin three-lane tunnels over a 5.3-km stretch between Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in Goregaon East and Amar Nagar in Mulund West.

The TBM, named Tulsi, was commissioned on August 17 and began operations in mid-August, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar inspected the site to review the tunnelling method, excavation progress, safety measures and construction quality.

During the inspection, officials were directed to maintain the pace of excavation and deploy additional manpower wherever required. Safety precautions were also reviewed because of the technical nature of tunnelling work beneath the protected green area.

Work on the second TBM is also progressing. The BMC said 70 per cent of the assembly of its components has been completed, with officials instructed to finish the assembly by September 30, 2026.

Once the second machine is fully installed, the Site Acceptance Test is scheduled to begin on October 1. The test will be used to verify the machine’s efficient and safe functioning and ensure that its systems work together before excavation begins.

The twin tunnels form a key component of the wider GMLR project, which is intended to strengthen east-west connectivity between Goregaon and Mulund and improve traffic movement across Mumbai.

The latest excavation milestone marks the start of the main underground construction phase, with both TBMs eventually expected to support work on the twin tunnel section beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.