By Arosh John | Founder – John Real Estate (MahaRERA Reg. No. A51700001835) | Editor-in-Chief – Thane Real Estate News (TREN)
The Goregaon–Mulund Link Road (GMLR) is not just another infrastructure project, but one of Mumbai’s most strategically important east–west corridors. It is designed to connect the Western Express Highway (Goregaon) to the Eastern Express Highway (Mulund) through a high-speed underground tunnel passing beneath Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).
This 12+ km corridor, featuring a tunnel stretch of over 6 km drilled deep beneath the forest cover, has been engineered to eliminate one of the most significant mobility gaps in Mumbai’s transport network — the absence of a direct east–west connector that bypasses the chronically congested JVLR, Powai, and SCLR routes.
How GMLR Changes the Map for Thane
1. Direct Access to Western Employment Hubs
For Thane residents, reaching Goregaon, Malad, Andheri, and Film City has traditionally meant long detours with unpredictable travel time. With GMLR, the alignment creates a direct movement corridor from Mulund–EEH into the western business and media hubs, reducing dependency on overloaded arterial routes.
2. Airport and Coastal Road Connectivity Advantage
With direct connection to the Western Express Highway, GMLR is expected to streamline access to Mumbai International Airport and future coastal road extensions. This positions Thane as a residential market with western connectivity benefits, expanding its relevance beyond central and eastern employment zones.
3. Real Estate Ripple Effect on Thane Micro-Markets
Once commute perception shifts, micro-markets like Wagle Estate, Mulund–EEH Belt, Manpada–GB Road Zone, and the emerging Thane Upper Belt stand to attract incremental demand from western suburb buyers seeking more space, gated townships and plotted or villa living at a more efficient price point compared to western micro-markets.
Current Ground Progress and Connectivity Outlook
Civil works for launch shafts near Film City have been initiated to position tunnelling equipment. Earthwork preparations and approach road alignments on the Mulund–EEH side are ongoing.
While full underground tunnel operations will follow a longer engineering cycle, initial surface and approach connectivity may open in stages, allowing early traffic relief on existing east–west routes. These partial access improvements often influence market sentiment well before full commissioning, especially among daily commuters tracking travel-time reductions.
Future Outlook — What It Means for Thane Buyers and Investors
As tunnelling activity progresses and surface linkages gradually align, commute friction between Thane and Mumbai’s western arc will start to ease. The moment vehicle movement begins on any new stretch — even partially — buyer awareness typically shifts quickly, impacting sentiment and price momentum in connected corridors.
This could lead to upward movement in property values in Thane, making it a strategic investment window for those looking to position ahead of infrastructure-led price appreciation trends.
Markets like the GB Road corridor, Mulund interchange zones, and Thane’s evolving villa and plotted clusters are poised to gain early traction, particularly among professionals working in western IT parks, media zones, studios, and financial hubs, who may now consider Thane as a viable, better-value residential base.
About the Author
By Arosh John — Founder, John Real Estate (MahaRERA Reg. No. A51700001835) and Editor-in-Chief, Thane Real Estate News (TREN). With over a decade of advisory experience across Thane–MMR’s apartment, luxury villa and NRI markets, Arosh brings deep on-ground insight into infrastructure-driven real estate strategy, tracking high-impact projects such as Metro Lines, MTHL, GMLR, Virar–Alibaug Corridor, Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel and major mobility connectors shaping future buyer behaviour.
Disclaimer
This article is based on independent research and current project progress updates available at the time of writing. Infrastructure timelines and development scope may evolve based on civic execution, environmental compliance, or administrative decisions. Readers are encouraged to verify project status directly with respective authorities before making financial decisions. All infrastructure names, project references and associated agencies belong to their respective owners.
