Coastal road worth ₹13,000-cr reaches tunneling stage

Piling and reclamation work for the ₹13,000 crore Coastal Road project is in full swing and the next step is construction of two tunnels in South Mumbai, said MMRDA sources. Digging of the tunnels would begin shortly and will be completed in a year. As of now, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) is being imported from China and will reach Mumbai soon. The agency is getting the largest tunnel boring machine for the project, which can complete the work in a more efficient manner and will ensure the least amount of disruption. The digging would start at Priyadarshini Park whereby the machine measuring 11.5 metres in diameter will be used to dig two tunnels of 12.2 metres diameter each. There will be an entry and exit stretch that will make the final length of the tunnels 3.4 meters with three lanes each. While the tunneling work will take around a year, the agency will simultaneously start working on the piers in the sea.