Tunnel from Mumbai’s Eastern Freeway to Marine Drive

An underground tunnel between Marine Drive and the Eastern Freeway has been approved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) following a recent meeting. The 65-million-dollar tunnel should reduce travel time to 10 minutes. The 154th Authority Meeting was held in March, and among the many projects discussed, the MMDRA approved the construction of a 3.8 km long tunnel route to offer vehicular connectivity between Orange Gate, the Eastern Freeway, and Marine Drive on the Mumbai Coastal Road. It was noted that this initiative would ease rush-hour traffic. The third and longest road tunnel, with 2+2 lines, will be here. It will be built along S V P Road around 30 metres below the Grant Road and Girgaum stations of Metro 3. It is anticipated that this tunnel will greatly reduce the area's traffic congestion by easing numerous important routes, including the CMST intersections, Crawford Market, and GPO. Moreover, it will facilitate access to the Navi Mumbai International Airport, linking South Mumbai traffic to the future Trans Harbour Link (Sewree-Nhava Sheva). Now, commuters must spend more than an hour travelling the trip, especially in the evenings when the Shahid Bhagat Singh Road experiences severe traffic. The on-ground construction is anticipated to begin soon after the completion of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). As part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, a 21-km long tunnel will soon be built between Bandra Kurla Complex and Shilphata station in Thane. It will be India's longest submerged tunnel.