Tunnel under national park to shorten Borivali-Sain travel time gets wildlife commission approval

The National Wildlife Board on Saturday approved the construction of Thane-Borivali twin tunnels in Mumbai. The approval marks a milestone in the start of the basin project.

All you need to know

• The project entails the construction of two road tunnels of 10.8 km each under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and approach roads at both ends. This will provide commuters with shorter routes and help them bypass the congested routes currently used.
• The tunnel project aims to reduce travel time from Tarn to Mumbai’s western suburbs from 60 minutes to 15-20 minutes.
• The twin tunnels will also significantly reduce carbon emissions from vehicles on the route, proving their environmentally friendly features.
• The expected traffic in the proposed new connection is expected to be approximately 50,000 PCU.
• The tunnels, each with three lanes, will connect Ekta Nagar in Borivali, Magathane and Tikuji-Ni-Wadi in Manpada, Thane. The tunnel road will also help minimize traffic congestion on Ghodbunder Road in Thane.
• The proposed Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) and the proposed Thane to Borivali twin tunnel, 3 + 3 lane highway tunnel are competing with each other.
• According to the detailed project report, the estimated cost of the project is approximately Rs 8,404 crore. The project is implemented with financial capabilities based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) principles.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, then urban development minister, said when announcing the project in July 2021 that extra care would be taken to avoid damage to the national park’s biodiversity. any impact.