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Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
54 containers carrying parts for Goregaon Mulund Link Road arrive from Japan
The ambitious Rs 6,500 crore Goregaon Mulund Link Road (GMLR) is set to witness a key threshold as at least 54 trailers comprising parts of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which will bore the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project's twin tunnels, have arrived from Japan into Mumbai. With the final consignment of the first TBM slated to arrive by next month the work on the tunnel with a diameter of 14.5 metre will begin. GMLR's twin TBM tunnels will be amongst the widest road tunnel projects undertaken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Pegged at a cost of nearly Rs. 6500 crore, the GMLR is an ambitious project which aims to alleviate congestion by linking Goregaon in the western suburbs to Mulund in the eastern suburbs. A crucial part of the GMLR project are the 6.65-km long twin tunnels which will start from Film City in the western suburbs and open near Mulund's Amar Junction, which currently houses a huge slum pocket. The GMLR tunnels will surpass the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), covering a complex topography of hillocks, forest and farmlands. The twin tunnels will be built using two TBM machines, which will commence boring from the launching shaft in Film City. Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) confirmed with The Indian Express that trailers containing parts of the first TBM machine started arriving from Japan in late March, this year. 'A total of 77 containers carrying parts of the first TBM machine will be arriving in the city. We received the first consignment on March 25. As many as 54 containers have already arrived and the balance of 23 containers will be received in the coming month,' said Bangar. According to officials, the remaining parts of the TBM machine are expected to arrive by August 15. Arriving from Japan, the containers are being unloaded at the JNPT port from where the consignments are being ferried in trailers up to the worksite. The parts of the first TBM will be assembled over a period of four months, after all the containers are received. Gearing up for the process, the civic body is currently undertaking piling works at the Goregaon work site at the launch shaft where the TBM tunnels will be lowered. Meanwhile, the consignments on the second TBM machine is slated to arrive in the city from December 2025. Raking beneath the SNGP, the TBMs are slated to dig a 5.30-kilometre tunnel before finally achieving its breakthrough at Mulund's Amar Nagar Junction, where the other end of the tunnel is proposed to open. Of the total 6.65-km tunnel length, nearly 1.35 km will be made up the approach roads and the box-tunnel, while nearly 5.30 km will comprise the portion dug by the tunnel boring machine.
Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
BMC launches live dashboard of ‘My Pothole Quick Fix' app
Even as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is undertaking the mega road concretisation project, Mumbai has so far recorded at least 6,758 potholes since the onset of monsoon. Of these, at least 3,461 complaints of potholes were flagged by citizens through channels such as the BMC's new 'My Pothole Quick Fix' application. Over a month since the 'My Pothole Quick Fix' app was introduced, the BMC on Friday launched the live dashboard of the application for public viewing, enabling citizens to track real time data about the total number of pothole-related grievances. This comes after demands to make the app data publicly available and enhance transparency. Launched on June 11, the app enables citizens to flag grievances pertaining to potholes, which witness an uptick during monsoon. Besides the application, citizens can also raise their concerns through mediums such as the WhatsApp Chatbot, social media and the BMC's disaster number. Once flagged, the BMC seeks to resolve the complaint by fixing the potholes within a 48-hour window, for which the civic body has pressed one road engineer in each of its 227 wards. Apart from this, the civic body also deploys its own engineers on the field to carry out daily road inspection and track potholes which need to be fixed. Collectively, senior officials said that 6,758 potholes have been recorded across Mumbai's roads since the onset of monsoon in June. Of the total potholes, 3,297 were identified by the civic staffers while 3,461 potholes were flagged by citizens on the app. Of these, the 2,961 potholes identified by BMC have been fixed and 3,252 of the total pothole-related grievances raised by the citizens have also been resolved. On Friday evening, dashboard data showed that of the 3,461 complaints, at least 253 complaints pertained to other agencies while 935 complaints were found invalid as they did not pertain to the potholes. Show cause notices in three areas According to senior officials, show cause notices have been issued against at least six sub engineers for failing to resolve the complaints and fix the potholes. The notices have been issued for lapses in Bandra west, Dharavi and along the linking road. The BMC fixes the potholes using mastic, with an average of 8-10 mastic cookers deployed across the city on a daily basis. Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) said, 'The notices are primarily issued to ensure that the potholes are acknowledged promptly and fixed on time in a bid to avoid the possibility of the potholes getting bigger and prevent any inconvenience and risk to citizens.' Bangar maintained that the number of potholes has seen a considerable dip compared to previous years.
Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Changing City: A twin cable-stayed bridge at Mumbai's Dadar to begin operations next year
The construction of a twin cable-stayed bridge at Mumbai's Dadar is progressing fast to replace the 100-year-old Tilak Bridge, which is a primary east-west connector, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The British-era Tilak Bridge, built in 1925, was declared dilapidated in a structural audit that was carried out in 2019, following which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had proposed the construction of a new bridge. The new bridge will be a cable-stayed structure that is being built parallel to the old Tilak Bridge, which will remain intact till the new bridge is built to ensure traffic movement is not affected. It is only after the new bridge is opened that the old structure will be pulled down by the authorities. The new bridge will be 600 metres long and will comprise six vehicular lanes. The twin bridges are being constructed in two phases, with each part having a width of 16.7 metres. The new superstructure will be wider when compared with the old structure and will allow a larger number of vehicles to pass at any given time. The bridge is being constructed in two phases. The first phase is expected to be completed by April 2026. This phase will include three vehicular lanes and will cater to both east-west traffic. Once this portion is ready, the old bridge will be pulled down in a systematic manner, and the second phase will be built in over 18 more months. The overall structure, comprising six vehicular lanes, will be ready by 2028. As of today, all the foundation work of the bridge has been completed, while the girder launching and superstructure work are in progress. The bridge is being constructed by BMC and Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC). The total cost of this project has been pegged at Rs 375 crore. 'The construction of the new bridge is being planned and executed strategically so that the existing traffic movement is not disrupted. Once the bridge becomes operational, it will improve traffic movement and will also enhance the appeal of this place. During Ganeshotsav, this bridge is also frequented by devotees and pedestrians, and considering the poor health of this bridge, we issue safety guidelines every year; therefore, a new bridge is of utmost requirement,' said Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (Projects).
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
BMC starts work on north phase of coastal road project in Goregaon
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has commenced works on the second phase of Coastal Road Project along a 1.2 km stretch in Goregaon, which falls outside the limits of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). On Wednesday, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar conducted a site inspection where he took stock of the developments on the project. Set to connect Versova in the western suburbs with the satellite city of Bhayandar, the north phase of the Coastal Road Project encompasses interchanges, elevated roads and twin tunnels. The mega project passes through land and creeks with most of the area falling under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). On Wednesday, the civic body said that foundation work at a 1.2 kilometre stretch in Goregaon, which lies outside the CRZ boundary, has been commenced. According to officials, this stretch falls under the Package B of the project, which encompasses an overall area of 1.66 km between Bangur Nagar and Mindspace (Malad). For perspective, the coastal road has been divided into six packages between Versova and Dahisar. While carrying out inspection of the foundation work at the non-CRZ area in Goregaon, AMC (Projects), Bangar on Wednesday instructed officials to ensure that no work is undertaken in areas which are categorized under CRZ. Besides overlooking ongoing works at Goregaon, Bangar also conducted site visits at Versova, Andheri, Lokhandwala interchange, Malad mindscape among other pockets where he interacted with officials and took stock of several works being executed under the ambit of coastal road phase 2. Earlier this month, the BMC received the crucial in-principal (Stage I) approvals for the mangrove forest diversion proposal to develop the project through the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Having procured the stage I approvals, the civic body is now going to approach the High Court. According to officials, work can be commenced only after acquiring the working permissions from the High Court. Following this, the MoEFCC grants the Stage II (final) approvals for the project.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Coastal road extension: BMC gets Goregaon govt land
Mumbai: BMC has received possession of a portion of a state-owned land in Goregaon West to begin on-ground work for the Rs 22,166-crore coastal road (north) project covering Versova-Dahisar-Bhayander, which is expected to decongest traffic in the western suburbs, including Dahisr, Borivli, Kandivli and Malad. During an inspection of various spots on Wednesday, additional municipal commissioner (projects) Abhijit Bangar directed civic officials to fast-track the project and proactively address bottlenecks. He emphasised the need for coordination across BMC departments and follow-ups with relevant govt agencies for timely approvals. Currently, foundation work is underway on a 1.2-km stretch of the non-coastal regulation zone (CRZ) in Goregaon. Bangar, who visited that too, clarified that no construction can commence in CRZ areas without requisite permissions. Although no physical work is being carried out in CRZ areas, BMC said preparatory documentation for land acquisition is underway while awaiting court clearance. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The project recently received in-principle stage-1 clearance from the Union environment ministry for mangrove diversion. Under the project's Malad interchange section, a new Malad-Versova link road will originate from Versova village. Officials have sought clarity from Mhada over land availability for this link, and necessary follow-ups are underway. The planned relocation of a high-tension tower in Goregaon is being reviewed in consultation with Adani Electricity officials. Alternatives are being explored, including the possible use of Mhada land for relocation. Govt land has been secured for a tunnelling shaft for the Malad-Charkop section and part of a private developer's land is also needed. Steps are being taken to expedite its acquisition, said BMC.
