MEIL Wins Gaimukh – Fountain Hotel Tunnel & Elevated Road’s Contracts in Thane
Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL) today was declared as the lowest bidder for the civil construction of a 5.5 km underground 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 a roughly 10 km elevated road from Fountain Hotel Junction to Bhayandar. MEIL won that section’s contract in a consortium with Hindustan Construction Company (HCC).
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had invited bids for the tunnel’s construction July 2024 with a construction period of 54 months (including environmental, other clearances, and monsoon period) and 24 month defect liability period (DLP).
Details on the tunnel’s specifications (lanes, internal diameter) remain a little sketchy at this time as 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 15.5 km entire road project was approved in July 2024 with an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister during MMRDA’s executive meeting.
Technical bids were opened in January 2025 to reveal 5 bidders for both contracts. Larsen & Toubro and Rithwik Projects’ bids were deemed non-compliant and were disqualified.
Tunnel Contract’s Results
| Firm | Bid (Rs. Crore) |
| Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL) | 9019.53 |
| Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd. (NECL) | 9513.21 |
| Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. | 9711.00 |
Tunnel’s Brief Scope: Design and construction of underground road tunnel from Gaimukh to Fountain Hotel Junction on Thane Ghodbunder road
Elevated Road Contract’s Results
| Firm | Bid (Rs. Crore) |
| Megha Engineering and Infrastructures – Hindustan Construction Company (MEIL – HCCL JV) | 6163.34 |
| Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd. (NECL) | 6439.48 |
Elevated Road’s Brief Scope: Design and Construction of Elevated road from Fountain Hotel Junction at Thane Ghodbunder road to Bhayander
MMRDA’s exact estimate for both contracts remain unknown to me, so we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out. The tunnel package’s scope also includes the construction of a new Gaimukh – Payegaon Creek Bridge which will be built to disperse traffic and provide connectivity to the 126 km Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Corridor.
As shared in the past – 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.
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
Why not make a tunnel that takes you directly to Surat highway? If it goes both ways, it would finish the problem all together and older road will smoother and faster.
Why don’t you plan elevated road with metro line connect from Miraroad metro 9 to thane Metro.
Please also plan metro line in same elevated road connect from Miraroad metro 9 to thane Metro.
I would suggest elevated road from thane ghodbunder to surat highway this will help eastern mumbai side smooth flow.
Basically 5 km elevated road at 6000 cr..
1 km 1000 cr.. this is not final.. it will inflates monstrously