+
India’s biggest TBM begins tunnelling for Mumbai coastal road
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

India’s biggest TBM begins tunnelling for Mumbai coastal road

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray formally inaugurated the tunnelling work this week for India’s biggest tunnel boring machine (TBM) by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the twin 1,920 m tunnels between Priyadarshini Park and Chowpatty. This will be a short segment in Mumbai’s 29.2 km Coastal Road (Western Freeway) project.

TBM Mavala, a slurry machine, having a diameter of 12.19 m, which was commissioned last week for carrying out the tunnelling work, has since built at least three tunnel rings.

India’s biggest TBM has been named ‘Mavala’ after the infantry warriors in the army of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji. The TBM will be deployed to dig 3.4 km long tunnels as part of the coastal road project – a 22.2 km long freeway that would run along Mumbai’s western coastline, connecting Marine Lines in the south to Kandivali in the north.

The machine has been manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (CRCHI) and arrived in Mumbai’s Priyadarshini Park neighbourhood in April 2020.

Assembly works on the TBM commenced in September and its shields, including an Indian-flag themed cutter head, were lowered into the ramp one by one in December 2020.

Each tunnel of this section (MCRP’s 3.93 km Package-4) will be 12 metres wide and comprise two lanes and one emergency lane. The TBM will operate 25 meters below the surface at Girgaum and 75 meters below Malabar Hill.

The BMC has completed over 20% work on the 10.5 km coastal road project, estimated to cost Rs 12,721 crore. So far, Rs 1,300 crore has been spent on the construction work.

L&T plans to excavate 9 m per day for the next 18 months to complete both tunnels by their internal deadline of June 2022.

Image Source

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray formally inaugurated the tunnelling work this week for India’s biggest tunnel boring machine (TBM) by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the twin 1,920 m tunnels between Priyadarshini Park and Chowpatty. This will be a short segment in Mumbai’s 29.2 km Coastal Road (Western Freeway) project. TBM Mavala, a slurry machine, having a diameter of 12.19 m, which was commissioned last week for carrying out the tunnelling work, has since built at least three tunnel rings. India’s biggest TBM has been named ‘Mavala’ after the infantry warriors in the army of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji. The TBM will be deployed to dig 3.4 km long tunnels as part of the coastal road project – a 22.2 km long freeway that would run along Mumbai’s western coastline, connecting Marine Lines in the south to Kandivali in the north. The machine has been manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (CRCHI) and arrived in Mumbai’s Priyadarshini Park neighbourhood in April 2020. Assembly works on the TBM commenced in September and its shields, including an Indian-flag themed cutter head, were lowered into the ramp one by one in December 2020. Each tunnel of this section (MCRP’s 3.93 km Package-4) will be 12 metres wide and comprise two lanes and one emergency lane. The TBM will operate 25 meters below the surface at Girgaum and 75 meters below Malabar Hill. The BMC has completed over 20% work on the 10.5 km coastal road project, estimated to cost Rs 12,721 crore. So far, Rs 1,300 crore has been spent on the construction work. L&T plans to excavate 9 m per day for the next 18 months to complete both tunnels by their internal deadline of June 2022. Image Source

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

NABARD Holds Seminar on Vigilance, Integrity and Good Governance

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organised a seminar on “Vigilance: Strengthening Integrity and Good Governance” on 25 August 2026 at its Head Office in Mumbai as part of the ongoing Vigilance Awareness Campaign 2026 being observed from 17 August to 16 November 2026, with the theme “Probity for Prosperity."" The seminar was graced by Suresh N Patel, Former Central Vigilance Commissioner, Government of India, as the chief guest and keynote speaker.  The programme was attended by G S Rawat, Deputy Managing Director, Dr Ajay K Sood, Deputy Managing Dire..

Next Story
Equipment

XCMG Unveils World's First 14,000-Ton Ring Crane for Heavy Lifting

XCMG has announced that the first main unit of the world's first 14,000-ton ring crane has rolled off the production line, marking a historic breakthrough in ultra-heavy lifting technology. Jointly developed by XCMG and Sinopec Heavy Lifting & Transportation Co., Ltd., the crane will be the largest-capacity ring crane ever built, setting a new benchmark for major construction projects worldwide.The crane features a modular configuration comprising two main units that work in tandem. The first main unit has completed final assembly and can independently perform lifting operations. Once both..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Thriveni Logistics orders 200 tip trailers from Jagdamba trailers

Jagdamba Trailers (JTPL), one of India’s growing trailer manufacturers, has secured a significant order for 200 Tip Trailers from Thriveni Transport and Logistics Pvt. Ltd., a leading mining and logistics company serving operations across India and overseas.The order, placed for iron ore transportation, is a major milestone for JTPL, particularly as the company secured the business after competing with more than 10 established trailer manufacturers. It also strengthens an already successful relationship between the two companies. Approximately one and a half years ago, Thriveni Transport and..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code