Bids Invited for Gaimukh – Fountain Hotel Tunnel in Mumbai

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Tuesday invited bids for the civil construction of a 5.5 km road tunnel connecting Gaimukh (Thane) and Fountain Hotel Junction (Bhayandar) in northern Mumbai.

This underground tunnel is one of two infrastructure components being built on a 15.5 km stretch to decongest Ghodbunder Road (MH SH 42) between Gaimukh and Bhayandar. The other component involves construction of an elevated road from Fountain Hotel Junction to Bhayandar.

Details on the tunnel’s specifications (lanes, internal diameter) are a little sketchy at this time and the tender notice didn’t have much to offer, but I imagine the tunnel will be built by deploying at least one mega tunnel boring machine (TBM).

The entire road project was approved with an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister during MMRDA’s executive meeting earlier this month.

Tender Details

• Contract Period: 54 months (including environmental, other clearances, and monsoon period) + 24 months defect liability period (DLP)
• Pre-Bid Meeting: August 8, 2024 at 11 am
• Bid Submission Deadline: September 19, 2024 at 6 PM
• Technical Bid Opening: September 20, 2024 at 6PM

MMRDA’s Brief Scope: Design and construction of underground road tunnel from Gaimukh to Fountain Hotel Junction on Thane Ghodbunder road

Ghodbunder Road is extremely narrow, winding and busy with traffic – especially with trucks at night – so this project is much needed. I do believe there was an opportunity for MMRDA to incorporate Mumbai Metro’s 9.2 km Line-10 between Gaimukh – Shivaji Chowk (part of Green Line) into its structure as it’s currently planned to follow the existing winding roadway.

When built, this tunnel will be connected to the upcoming 13.2 km Thane Coastal Road project which will have its northern terminal at Gaimukh. And just north of it, a new Gaimukh – Payegaon Creek Bridge will be built to disperse traffic and provide connectivity to the 126 km Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Corridor.

This project will be the third road tunnel in and around Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). From north to south:

• 5.5 km Fountain Hotel Junction – Gaimukh Tunnel (MMRDA)
• 10.8 km Borivali – Thane Tunnel (MMRDA)
• 6.3 km Goregaon Mulund Link Road Tunnel (MCGM / BMC)

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– TMRG