+
BMC May Scrap Grant Road Flyover for Sustainable Tunnel Option
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

BMC May Scrap Grant Road Flyover for Sustainable Tunnel Option

In a shift towards sustainable urban infrastructure, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is considering cancelling the proposed elevated flyover connecting Grant Road to Orange Gate. Estimated at Rs 13.29 billion, the flyover was intended to ease traffic in one of Mumbai’s most congested corridors.

However, the project now faces redundancy due to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) ambitious underground tunnel, which would cover much of the same alignment. The 4.46-kilometre-long tunnel—planned to run from Marine Drive to Orange Gate—will lie around 40 metres below ground and include two car lanes and an emergency lane, offering seamless traffic flow without disrupting surface-level activity.

Officials argue that, unlike the flyover, the tunnel avoids complex land acquisition in densely populated areas, offering a more sustainable, less disruptive alternative. The original flyover plan—designed as a cable-stayed bridge with a dispersal arm—would have spanned 5.6 kilometres, cutting travel time from 45 minutes to just five to seven minutes.

Though tenders for the flyover were awarded in March 2024 and soil testing commenced in November, the tunnel’s potential to deliver similar benefits without environmental and social costs has gained favour.

Experts and municipal officials, including stakeholders from the MMRDA and traffic police, are currently in discussions to finalise the decision. Environmentalists have welcomed the likely cancellation, noting its alignment with goals for zero net carbon emissions and gender-inclusive urban planning.

Should the flyover be scrapped, Mumbai may well set a precedent in India for favouring subterranean infrastructure that prioritises ecological balance, community welfare, and smart urban mobility.

In a shift towards sustainable urban infrastructure, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is considering cancelling the proposed elevated flyover connecting Grant Road to Orange Gate. Estimated at Rs 13.29 billion, the flyover was intended to ease traffic in one of Mumbai’s most congested corridors. However, the project now faces redundancy due to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) ambitious underground tunnel, which would cover much of the same alignment. The 4.46-kilometre-long tunnel—planned to run from Marine Drive to Orange Gate—will lie around 40 metres below ground and include two car lanes and an emergency lane, offering seamless traffic flow without disrupting surface-level activity. Officials argue that, unlike the flyover, the tunnel avoids complex land acquisition in densely populated areas, offering a more sustainable, less disruptive alternative. The original flyover plan—designed as a cable-stayed bridge with a dispersal arm—would have spanned 5.6 kilometres, cutting travel time from 45 minutes to just five to seven minutes. Though tenders for the flyover were awarded in March 2024 and soil testing commenced in November, the tunnel’s potential to deliver similar benefits without environmental and social costs has gained favour. Experts and municipal officials, including stakeholders from the MMRDA and traffic police, are currently in discussions to finalise the decision. Environmentalists have welcomed the likely cancellation, noting its alignment with goals for zero net carbon emissions and gender-inclusive urban planning. Should the flyover be scrapped, Mumbai may well set a precedent in India for favouring subterranean infrastructure that prioritises ecological balance, community welfare, and smart urban mobility.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

97 Per Cent Of Rongjeng-Mangsang-Adokgre Road Nears Completion

Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of public works Prestone Tynsong said in Shillong on 26 August that 97 per cent physical progress had been achieved on the ongoing Rongjeng-Mangsang-Adokgre road being constructed under the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR). He noted the project was sanctioned in 2017 and that the stipulated time for completion had been 24 months from issue of the final work order. The deputy chief minister informed the assembly that the government had decided to include the remaining work under a World Bank project. In reply to a query from Rongjeng MLA Jim M Sangm..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

First TBM Starts Digging Five Point Three Kilometre Tunnel Under SGNP

The Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) Phase three (B) project has reached a key milestone as the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) began excavation of the first of two tunnels beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). The machine, named Tulsi, started cutting a five point three kilometre bore that will link Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in Goregaon East with Amar Nagar in Mulund West. Officials issued a statement noting the commencement of tunnelling work under the protected green belt. The twin tunnels are being constructed using mechanised tunnelling methods that aim to limit surface di..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

UP Approves Two Expressways And Rs 240 bn Infrastructure Push

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a series of infrastructure and industrial investment proposals totalling Rs 240 billion (Rs 240 bn), including two major expressway projects, a manufacturing and logistics cluster in Sultanpur and incentives for 11 industrial projects across the state. The decisions, taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, underline the state government’s focus on expanding road connectivity around emerging industrial hubs while attracting manufacturing investment to districts beyond major urban centres. The approvals cover both greenfield expressway c..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code