Mumbai: Tender for twin tunnels under Sanjay Gandhi National Park gets 15th time lucky

The tunnels will pass through the SGNP at depths varying from 25-200 metre. File pic

About one year and 15 extensions later, the tender to invite contractors to build the proposed twin tunnels under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) has finally got response from six interested companies. If all goes well, civic officials said the BMC aims to start the work next year.

The tunnels - south and north bound - will cost the civic body about Rs 6,225 crore. This tender for the project was floated last year, but was extended 15 times due to a lack of response.

While the Chinese companies that could provide low-cost tunnel boring machines cannot participate, the majority that have come forward are consortiums of foreign and national companies, said civic officials.

Civic officials said the interests are at the scrutiny stage, and once these proposals are vetted and their experience matches the tender's conditions, a request for quotation will be sent to them.

One of the officials said, "Once contractors are shortlisted, a process that will take time as the scrutiny to check their eligibility is underway, the BMC will send them a request for a quotation. Thereafter, they will submit their bids to us and once the bidding is done, the lowest bidder will be offered the contract."

Civic officials said the twin tunnels will pass through SGNP for a length of about 4.7 km, and their depth would vary from 25-200 metre. The south-bound tunnel is estimated to cost Rs 3,205 crore and the north-bound Rs 3,020 crore.

The twin tunnels are part of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR), which is around 13.65-km-long and is said to be the last connectivity between the western and the eastern suburbs, after the SCLR, JVLR and the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road.

Recently, mid-day had reported about two bridges that are also part of the GMLR.

The existing road from Western Express Highway to Film City in Goregaon will be connected via twin tunnels under the SGNP to Amar Nagar in Mulund West, and then further on to Eastern Express Highway.