The work for much-awaited Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project is expected to kick off from March. The project consultant is likely to submit its report on the realignment of the route by next month, after which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will invite tenders for the implementation of project.
After the feasibility study of the proposed road was over, the civic body decided to construct an underground tunnel along its course, as environmentalists expressed concern over the large-scale cutting of trees for the project. The earlier alignment would have passed through Bhandup water treatment complex and also affected tree cover. To avoid it, the BMC has appointed a peer-review consultant for checking the realignment of the route. The BMC has been looking for two to three alternative routes.
According to officials, two options have been suggested during the re-alignment of the GMLR course. One is to build a 9-km tunnel, which is proposed to be constructed outside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SNGP). The other option is a 6-km tunnel that will run through the park. There is also a proposal to build a tunnel through the Film City. “The consultant is expected to submit his report within a month. Afterwards, tenders will be invited for executing the project,” said S.O. Kori, chief engineer, bridges department.
The project will be carried out in three phases — construction of a bridge at Nahur railway station by demolishing the old one, development of the remaining part of the GMLR as per the Development Plan (DP) excluding the tunnel and the setting up of a tunnel.
To ensure ventilation, the BMC is also planning to install exhausts at exit points of the tunnel, said a senior civic official. The Rs 1,300-crore project is expected to improve the city’s east-west connectivity. With a 14.66km long route, GMLR will be the fifth east-west corridor in the state.
