Skip to main content

Mumbai tunnel supply deal for Herrenknecht

German firm Herrenknecht has scored a major order for the Mumbai Coastal Road project in India.
By MJ Woof December 20, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
The Indian ambassador to Germany visited Herrenknecht’s facility at Schwanau in Germany


German firm Herrenknecht has secured the contract to supply the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for road tunnels at Mumbai Coastal Road Project North.
The new TBMs will be used to drive tunnel stretches for the Versova-Dahisar Link Road in Mumbai. The two Mixshields will each feature a diameter of 15.62m, making them the largest tunnel boring machines in India. 

The Versova-Dahisar Link Road (VDLR) is the second phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MRCP), spanning a length of 23km. Packages C & D are the two parallel Underground tunneling packages of VDLR project, each extending 3.1km in length. The planned project will connect the suburbs of Versova and Dahisar along Mumbai's western coastline, easing traffic congestion on major routes such as the Western Express Highway. Underground tunnel sections will play a critical role, particularly in connecting sensitive areas such as the city centre and densely built urban regions. The project owner is Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and the client is Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL).

The two powerful Mixshields are optimally designed for the challenging geological conditions of the region: slightly weathered basalt with a uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of up to 150MPa. The overburden of the tunnels ranges between approximately 13-23m. To ensure safe operations under these conditions, the TBMs are designed for a maximum operating pressure of 5bar. The machines will be manufactured at Herrenknecht's Chennai plant in India, using core components from Schwanau. 

 

 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Stantec wins upgrade to Florida SR 91
    July 29, 2019
    Canadian contractor Stantec is to lead design work for a 16km upgrade and widening of State Road 91 in the US state of Florida. Work will turn the section of road through Lake County into price-managed lanes for improved travel reliability, according to the company which will be working for Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, part of the Florida Department of Transportation. Turnpike Enterprise operates a 740km-system of limited access toll highways Stantec’s design for the project, with a construction cos
  • India’s longest road tunnel continues apace with Atlas Copco support
    May 20, 2014
    The challenging construction of India’s largest road tunnel is part of a vital US$500 million project aiming to connect the isolated northern state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the vast and highly populated country. Guy Woodford reports Travelling on National Highway 1A (NH 1A) in northern India should be the dictionary definition of ordeal. The single lane, narrow and winding road crosses some of the steepest, most treacherous terrain on the planet. The arduous route becomes especially difficult t
  • A bridge of hope?
    July 18, 2012
    As Russia prepares for a major Asia Pacific conference in nearly four years' time, the economic climate is felt in other countries in the region. Patrick Smith reports AUS$1 billion-plus suspension bridge is to be built to link the city of Vladivostok in the far east of Russia and Russky Island. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has signed an instruction for construction of the 3,150m long bridge, which is intended to provide access to the 24th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, to be held o
  • Malaysia's SMART tunnel
    April 27, 2012
    A series of stamps has been produced in Malaysia that focus on the innovative project to save capital Kuala Lumpur from both chronic traffic congestion and flooding during periods of high seasonal rainfall.