Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 15, Construction on India’s $1.6 billion Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project in Mumbai is scheduled to begin in early 2026, while another major tunnel proposal is being considered in Bengaluru. Both developments aim to enhance urban transport infrastructure and alleviate traffic congestion in key metropolitan areas.

A new tunnel link will help address Mumbi’s notorious traffic congestion, while a proposed tunnel in Bengaluru is attracting criticism

The GMLR project will include a 6.65km twin-tube tunnel that forms the central part of a 12.2km route. The project will be managed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Using tunnel boring machine (TBM) technology, the tunnels will run beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, connecting the suburbs of Goregaon in the west and Mulund in the east. This new route is expected to significantly improve travel efficiency and reduce travel time across Mumbai’s metropolitan region.

Each of the twin tunnels will reach depths of up to 160m and be spaced approximately 300m apart. The design includes six traffic lanes in each tube, equipped with fire safety systems, traffic management technology, closed-circuit television (CCTV), utility conduits, and drainage systems. Two TBMs will be deployed for the construction, with the first machine already delivered from Japan and the second scheduled for delivery by the end of 2025. The launch shaft for the first TBM is nearing completion, with tunneling expected to commence in early 2026.

In Bengaluru, a separate plan for a 17km road tunnel connecting Hebbal and Central Silk Board is under review. The proposed route, however, has drawn public concern due to its planned alignment beneath the historic Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, which are over two centuries old.

Environmental advocates have expressed worries that constructing the twin tunnels—each with a diameter of 15m and located between 50m and 100m underground—could affect the ecological balance of the gardens. They have also raised concerns about potential impacts on Lalbagh Rock, a Peninsular Gneiss formation designated as a National Geological Monument.

While the Bengaluru project remains at a proposal stage, the GMLR development in Mumbai marks a significant step in addressing one of India’s most pressing urban transport challenges. Once completed, the link is expected to offer a faster, safer, and more efficient route between eastern and western Mumbai, easing heavy traffic loads on existing surface roads and supporting the city’s broader infrastructure modernization goals.