Mumbai To Get New Tunnel, 13.9-km Elevated Freeway To Slash Travel Time

With an eye on the upcoming municipal corporation elections, especially the big-ticket Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) poll, the Mahayuti Government is ensuring high-value and high-visibility projects get off the ground.

In a major leap for Mumbai's infrastructure and connectivity, construction for the Orange Gate-Marine Drive Tunnel kicked off. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde launched the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for the project, which connects the city's eastern fringes of Orange Gate to Marine Drive.

"For years, Eastern Freeway commuters had faced long detours and heavy congestion. That is why the Orange Gate Tunnel was conceptualised. This dream project will revolutionise commuting in Mumbai, making the city faster than ever," Chief Minister Fadnavis said.

The tunnel will link the Eastern Freeway to the Coastal Road network. Its alignment passes beneath nearly 700 properties, including century-old heritage structures. It runs under Western Railway, Central Railway, and the Metro without disrupting existing infrastructure, making it a major engineering marvel," Fadnavis added.

Orange Gate–Marine Drive Tunnel: A Bold Leap Toward a Smarter, Faster Mumbai

Launched 'Tunnel Boring Machine' (TBM) for 'Orange Gate to Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel Project' in Mumbai today. For years, Eastern Freeway commuters had faced long detours and heavy congestion.… https://t.co/yKFGhRJv5H pic.twitter.com/vDGv7WJBId

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 3, 2025

The total length of this twin tunnel is 9.96 km, with 3-3.5 km stretches featuring two lanes plus an emergency lane. It will include advanced ventilation, ITS Smart Mobility technology, and an AI-enabled traffic management system for safety and efficiency. Completion is planned for December 2028, with efforts to finish six months early.

"Once complete, this tunnel will save thousands of hours for thousands of people. MMRDA's commitment to drive this project is commendable. This initiative will play a major role in strengthening Mumbai's infrastructure and supporting the city's long-term growth vision," Fadnavis said.

Along with the twin-tunnel project, construction for another key connectivity project has also started: the Elevated Eastern Freeway Extension. This project will enable commuters to travel from South Mumbai to Thane in just 25-30 minutes.

MMRDA has commenced construction of the 13.9 km, fully elevated 6-lane high-speed corridor that will dramatically reduce travel time and ease daily congestion on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH), one of Mumbai's busiest arterial routes serving lakhs of commuters every day.

The corridor will run from Anand Nagar, Thane to Chheda Nagar, Ghatkopar, with key links at Mulund, Airoli, JVLR, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, Mankhurd, and Ghatkopar. In Thane, the corridor will merge seamlessly with the Anand Nagar-Saket Elevated Road, forming a continuous high-speed route. It will also provide seamless onward connectivity to the Samruddhi Expressway (Mumbai to Nagpur).

Once completed, the project is expected to significantly improve traffic flow, lower emissions, and offer a faster, more reliable, and greener commute to lakhs of citizens, while boosting economic activity across the MMR.

As part of MMRDA's commitment to sustainable development, the Vikhroli-Ghatkopar stretch was realigned to save 127 Pink Trumpet trees. A total of 4,175 new trees will be planted as compensatory green cover.