26 August,2026 04:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The GMLR Phase 3(B) tunnel project is a technically challenging infra project as the tunnels will pass beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, officials said. Pic/BMC
The Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) Phase 3(B) project has reached a major milestone with the start of excavation for the first of two tunnels under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), officials said.
According to an official statement, the twin tunnels are being constructed between Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in Goregaon East and Amar Nagar in Mulund West using the tunnel boring machine (TBM) named âTulsi'.
Each tunnel will be around 5.30 km long and three lanes wide.
The first TBM was commissioned on August 17, 2026, marking the beginning of the actual tunnel excavation work.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar visited the project site on Wednesday morning to review the progress.
During the inspection, Bangar reviewed the tunnel excavation process, ongoing work, project progress and technical aspects of the operation.
He also stressed the need to maintain high standards of safety, equipment efficiency and construction quality while ensuring that the work stays on schedule.
The Mumbai civic body said that around 9 metres of tunnel excavation has been completed so far.
Bangar directed officials to take immediate steps to maintain the required pace of excavation and deploy additional manpower wherever necessary.
He said the highly technical nature of the tunnelling work requires strict compliance with safety procedures, with worker safety remaining the top priority.
Work on assembling the second tunnel boring machine is also progressing.
Around 70 per cent of the assembly work has been completed, and Bangar directed the project team to complete the entire assembly by September 30, 2026, the statement said.
Once the second TBM is fully installed at the project site, a Site Acceptance Test (SAT) is scheduled to begin from 1 October 2026.
The test will assess the machine's performance, safety and the integrated functioning of its various systems before the second tunnelling operation begins.
The GMLR Phase 3(B) tunnel project is a technically challenging infrastructure project as the tunnels will pass beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, it said.
During the inspection, officials were directed to ensure proper planning and coordination so that excavation progresses safely and efficiently.
The civic administration said the project team will plan the start of the second tunnel excavation after the successful completion of the assembly and site acceptance testing.
Chief Engineer (Bridges) Rajesh Mule, along with other officials, consultants and project representatives, was present during the inspection.
