Mumbai infra news | Orange Gate to Marine Drive in just 5 minutes: Here’s how new tunnel project could transform connectivity

March 29, 2026 Headlinesnews

2 min readUpdated: Mar 29, 2026 03:55 PM IST

Mumbai tunnel road project: The Orange Gate-Marine Drive road tunnel project is considered as one of the country’s most complex urban tunnelling projects. Being executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the new tunnel will provide a traffic-free route between Orange Gate on the Eastern Freeway and Marine Drive, improving connectivity and reducing travel time.

In a statement on March 27, MMRDA said: “Purpose-built for Mumbai’s challenging coastal geology, the Tunnel Boring Machine — India’s largest slurry shield TBM for an urban road tunnel — achieved a crucial breakthrough recently, and has since advanced rapidly, excavating an impressive 70 metres within a few days.” The tunnel boring machine (TBM) was launched on December 3, 2025.

Orange Gate-Marine Drive twin tunnels

As per MMRDA, the Eastern Freeway-linking Mankhurd to Chembur Junction and Orange Gate on P’Dimello Road, has significantly improved connectivity to South Mumbai. However, rising traffic at Orange Gate has emerged as a major challenge for the Mumbai Port Trust and the General Post Office (GPO) junction on P’Dimello Marg.

Therefore, to address these challenges and enable a seamless road-based transit system, the construction of this new tunnel project has become necessary.

The project involves the construction of twin tunnels spanning over 7 km. The first tunnel, currently under construction, spans 3.45 km and reaches depths of up to 52 metres. It passes beneath the Central and Western Railway corridors as well as Mumbai Metro Line 3 with a high degree of safety and engineering precision.

Orange Gate-Marine Drive tunnel map (Image: MMRDA/Photo enhanced with AI)

Orange Gate-Marine Drive twin tunnel project: Significance

Once complete, the Orange Gate-Marine Drive tunnel project will reduce travel time to just 5 minutes. It will not only provide seamless connnectivity between East and West coasts of South Mumbai but also enable direct integration with the Coastal Road and Atal Setu. The infrastructure project will also reduce congestion, fuel consumption and emissions.

Orange Gate–Marine Drive Tunnel Begins Main DriveSource: MMRDA · TBM Progress Update

🚇 Progressing Rapidly

· Main Drive Operations Active as of Feb 28, 2026

✅Backup system unit lowered and connected to the TBM shield

✅Hydraulic and electrical connections completed

✅Flowmeters, densitometers, pressure sensors calibrated

✅Probe drill unit installed and tested

✅Initial drive begins; temporary rings erected

✅Permanent rings erection begins

✅Initial drive completed

✅Transition to main drive completed

✅Main drive operations commence

* Source: MMRDA · Orange Gate–Marine Drive Tunnel, Mumbai.

Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors.

Professional Journey
Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com.

Education & Expertise
Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities:

Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University
Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication
Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta

Areas of Coverage
Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. … Read More

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