The Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel Project has entered its next phase with TBM-2 ‘Arjuna’ beginning excavation of the second tunnel from the Thane side. Once completed, the project is expected to shorten road travel between Thane and Borivali, with MMRDA projecting a journey time of approximately 15 minutes, in comparison with around 60-90 minutes currently.
In a post on X, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development (MMRDA) said Arjuna will work alongside TBM-1 ‘Nayak’, which is already progressing with excavation of the first tunnel.
Together, two tunnel boring machines will create 10.25 km of twin tunnels as part of the overall 11.84 km Thane-Borivali corridor.
MMRDA termed it as India’s longest and deepest urban tunnel project.
Thane-Borivali in around 15 minutes: What motorists can expect
For motorists, one of the biggest expected benefits of the project is the reduction in travel time between Thane and Borivali.
MMRDA mentioned that the journey takes around 60-90 minutes. After the project is completed, the authority expects it to take around 15 minutes.
The corridor also aims to provide faster connectivity between the Ghodbunder Road side in Thane and the Western Express Highway side towards Borivali.
MMRDA also expects that the project will help in easing out congestion, reduce fuel consumption and emissions. It also described it as a “faster, safer and more efficient connection” across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
What is TBM ‘Arjuna’ and why does its launch matter?
TBM-2 Arjuna has been launched from the Thane side to start excavation of the project’s second tunnel.
According to MMRDA, Arjuna is the country’s largest single-shield hard rock tunnel boring machine for an urban tunnel.
The machine is capable of doing large-diameter excavation in hard-rock conditions.
Arjuna joins TBM-1 Nayak, which was launched about two months earlier and is already excavating the first tunnel.
Both tunnels can now progress simultaneously
Arjuna’s deployment means excavation of the two tunnels can now move ahead simultaneously.
In a separate post on X, MMRDA mentioned that this would further speed up the progress on the project.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the obstacles to beginning work from Borivali side have been solved.
Fadnavis further added that efforts would be made to complete the project faster by operating TBMs from both sides.
10.25 km of twin tunnels beneath Sanjay Gandhi National Park
The two machines will excavate 10.25 km of twin tunnels, which will form the underground portion of the 11.84 km Thane-Borivali corridor.
The tunnels will pass deep beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, with MMRDA saying the alignment has been designed to minimise disturbance at the surface.
The tunnel will have a maximum overburden of 320 metres. The underground alignment is a key component of the proposed east-west road connection between Thane and Borivali.
What the project means for Thane-Borivali connectivity
Once operational, the twin-tunnel corridor is expected to provide a much shorter road connection between the Thane and Borivali sides of Mumbai’s metropolitan region.
MMRDA also expects the project to reduce congestion, vehicle emissions and fuel consumption.
With Arjuna now joining Nayak, excavation is progressing on both tunnels, marking another major construction milestone for the Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel Project.