Mumbai: By the end of the year, the city will have its first twin tunnels which are a part of the Anik Panjrapole Link Road (APLR) in the eastern suburb of Chembur where hectic construction of the infrastructure project is under way.
Covering a length of 500 metres, 17 metres in width and 10 metres in height, the tunnels are behind the Deonar hills where the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is located.
"Constructing the tunnel in a city is a tough job since people living near the site have to be first resettled and movement of trucks carrying materials have to come through crowded streets," Sebastian Rodrigues, site-in-charge of Aniirudh Enterprises, told Gulf News.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has allotted the APLR project to Madhucon Projects of Hyderabad, which has subcontracted the tunnel work to Aniirudh. "A majority of the tunnelling work has been completed but one side of the tunnel work cannot be commenced until the slum dwellers living there are rehabilitated," he said. Normally, tunnel work starts on both sides of the hill but this is not possible in urban areas, he added. The tunnel construction is similar to that of the Kamshet tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Once the entire route is completed, it will be a big boon for commuters from Navi Mumbai to South Mumbai who can complete the trip in 30 minutes as they would skip nearly 30 traffic signals as well as potholed roads. Presently, it takes anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes to cover the stretch.
The twin tunnels and the six-lane APLR form part of the 22 kilometre high speed Eastern Freeway corridor — the eastern most north-south stretch that starts near P. D'Mello Road in South Mumbai, runs through Mumbai Port Trust land through an elevated road, crosses the salt pans, (for which final approvals are pending), goes above the Wadala Truck Terminal and then connects to APLR.
Busy area
The five kilometre stretch from Anik junction to Panjrapole in Chembur where the tunnels are being constructed is through one of the busiest areas where commercial and residential areas are located.
The road then extends to the suburb of Ghatkopar and also to Mankhurd, thus giving better connectivity to residents of north-east suburbs as well as those in Navi Mumbai.
