Mumbai, June 18 -- After shelving its Marine Drive road widening plan, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has now proposed altering the alignment of the Orange Gate-Marine Drive twin tunnel project to prevent a potential bottleneck near Jawahar Bal Bhavan at Charni Road, according to officials familiar with the matter. The revised alignment would require reclaiming 2,298 square metres of land-around one-third the size of a football ground-from the Arabian Sea near the Pransukhlal Mafatlal Hindu Swimming Bath & Boating Club Trust, according to the proposal documents accessed by HT. Officials said the modification would increase the project's cost by around Rs.40 crore. The Orange Gate-Marine Drive twin tunnel project was approved in March 2023 at an estimated cost of Rs.8,056 crore. According to officials, the road widening is necessary to increase the number of lanes outside Jawahar Bal Bhavan from the existing eight (four in each direction) to 13. The twin tunnel project will have entry and exit ramps near Jawahar Bal Bhavan, where vehicles entering and exiting the tunnels will merge with existing traffic. Approximately 300 metres of road between the Coastal Road's entry-exit points and the Mafatlal swimming pool will need to be widened, said an MMRDA official, requesting anonymity. The proposed 13 lanes would be divided into four categories, officials said. The existing four Nariman Point-bound lanes will be reduced to three. There will be three lanes for vehicles exiting the twin tunnel and headed to Nariman Point. Likewise, there will be another three lanes for vehicles coming from Nariman Point to enter the Orange Gate-bound tunnel. For the traffic headed towards Girgaum Chowpatty, there will be four lanes. Over the last couple of months, MMRDA has begun the process of obtaining environmental clearance for the revised design. The proposal has been submitted to the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), which functions under the state's environment and climate change department....