Mumbai: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began the initial phase of the Kandiwali Lokhandwala to Goregaon East linking project by broadening the 500 metre road in Malad East's P Northward. 

The 2.1 kilometre road will aim to establish a connectivity between Kandivali Lokhandwala and Western Express Highway in Goregaon East and is being termed  as 'Vital Project' additionally connecting it to GMLR for gaining entry to eastern suburbs. 

The goal of this action is to improve traffic flow, especially in advance of the future Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project, which would improve connection between the east and west.

According to civic officials, this widening would also improve connection between Kandivali and Goregaon East till work on the GMLR begins.

The road connecting Goregaon (east) and Kandivali (east) will serve as an alternative route for Kandivali residents, connecting Lokhandwala Township to Malad Reservoir and Goregaon East

How will GMLR decongest the existing road network of the Mumbai's suburbs

The Goregaon-Mulund Link Road Project will cut the travel time between Mulund to Goregaon to 20 minutes. 

GMLR, a twelve kilometers long road will connect Mulund directly to Goregaon. GMLR is the fourth east to weat corridor in mUmbai after Santazruz Chembur Link Road, Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) and Ghodbunder Road. 

The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 6,225 crores. 

The development of the project will reduce travel time and cut the travel bottlenecks. 

Right now, it takes 80 minutes to travel from Mulund to Goregaon. As soon as the GMLR is functional, the travel time will be cut down to as quick as 20 minutes. 

The route will start at the Mulund-Airoli signal on the Eastern Express Highway and end at Goregaon on the Western Express Highway.

The National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) and the Maharashtra State Board of Wildlife and Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) have approved the GMLR project.

The BMC intends to construct rehabilitation structures so that those impacted by the project have somewhere to live.
 

GMLR Project is Divided in Four Parts 

1) Construction of a bridge near Nahur railway station
2) Widening of roads between eastern and western suburbs
3) Development of twin tunnels near Sanjay Gandhi National Park and proposed flyovers at various intersections
4)  Flyovers at the intersection of Eastern & Western Expressways

Current Status of GMLR Project 

The Nahur ROB is being built as part of the GMLR project. Construction is 80% complete and is scheduled to be finished by May 2024.

The second phase of the project include widening the road on both the east (Goregaon) and west (Mulund) sides. 

Phase three includes elevated road at junction of G G Singh Road and GMLR, and another flyover at Hedgewar Junction (Mulund West). 

Work orders have been issued for the construction of the tunnels, which feature a 4.7km Twin Tunnel and a 1.6km Box Tunnel in Goregaon East. The tunnels are scheduled to be completed by October 2028.