Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today on Wednesday the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for the Orange Gate to Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel Project in Mumbai.
For years, Eastern Freeway commuters had faced long detours and heavy congestion in south Mumbai to reach the Marine Drive and Nariman Point areas. That is why the Orange Gate Tunnel was conceptualised. “This dream project will revolutionise commuting in Mumbai, making the city faster than ever,” said Fadnavis.
Orange Gate–Marine Drive Tunnel: A Bold Leap Toward a Smarter, Faster Mumbai
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 3, 2025
Launched 'Tunnel Boring Machine' (TBM) for 'Orange Gate to Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel Project' in Mumbai today. For years, Eastern Freeway commuters had faced long detours and heavy congestion.… https://t.co/yKFGhRJv5H pic.twitter.com/vDGv7WJBId
Fadnavis tweeted that the tunnel will link the Eastern Freeway to the coastal road network. Its alignment passes beneath nearly 700 properties, including century-old heritage structures. It runs under Western Railway, Central Railway and the Metro without disrupting existing infrastructure, making it a major engineering marvel.
The total length of this twin tunnel is 9.96 km, with 3–3.5 km stretches featuring two lanes plus an emergency lane. It will include advanced ventilation, ITS smart mobility technology and an AI-enabled traffic management system for safety and efficiency. The project completion is planned for December 2028, with efforts to finish six months early. Once complete, this tunnel will save thousands of hours for thousands of people.
Assembly Speaker Adv. Rahul Narwekar, DCM Eknath Shinde ji, Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha ji and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
As per the current plan, the Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground tunnel is expected to be completed by 2028, but they are striving to finish the project six months before the deadline, said Fadnavis.
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The tunnel will provide an alternative route to the residents of south Mumbai and those living in the western suburbs of the metropolis to reach the Navi Mumbai international airport, as another connector between Sewri and Worli is under construction.
The Coastal Road currently connects Marine Drive to Worli, where it links with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Mumbai Guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha and Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar were among those present at the TBM launch function.
