The Borivali-Thane road tunnel will pass beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
India’s longest road tunnel linking Borivali-Thane, which will cost the state exchequer Rs. 11,235 crores will be constructed from March 2022.
Land acquisition for the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) project has commenced since the detailed project report has been completed.
It is estimated that it would take 66 months for the 11.80 km Borivali-Thane road tunnel project to be completed. It will comprise a 10.25 km double tunnel and 1.55 km junction.
The twin tunnel will have 3 lanes in each direction, cross-tunnels every 300 meters, jet fans (to regulate air supply), smoke detectors, and drainage systems.
It is estimated that the underground road will reduce travel time between the 2 locations from 60 minutes to 15 minutes (when traveled at 80 km/hr). Additionally, it will also help decongest the Ghodbunder Road.
According to Maharashtra PWD Minister Eknath Gaikwad, the Borivali-Thane road tunnel will help save over a million lakh tonnes of fuel, thereby cut emissions by 36 percent.
As mentioned above, land acquisition for the State’s first inter-district underground road project has already commenced.
Authorities would use 16.54 hectares of private land. Because the road tunnel passes beneath the 87 square kilometers of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), 40.46 hectares of the parkland will also be acquired for the project.