Mumbai, May 4 -- The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has approved the extension of the Orange Gate-Marine Drive tunnel till the PM Hindu Swimming Bath & Boat Club, popularly called Mafatlal Swimming Pool, near Girgaum Chowpatty, MMRDA officials said on Sunday. The tunnel connecting the Eastern Freeway and Atal Setu to the Coastal Road was earlier supposed to terminate at Maratha Bhavan on Marine Drive but will now extend further north based on the chief minister's recommendation, MMRDA officials said. Government sources said the reason is to avoid traffic congestion along the Queen's Necklace, the iconic tourist haunt. The Rs.7,500-crore project received Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance on March 7, 2024. According to the original plan, the right side alignment was to be 3.547 km long and the left side was to be 5.687 km long. As per the revised design which received MCZMA nod on April 19, the revised length of the right side alignment is 4.6 km and the left side is 4.9 km. The project aims to reduce traffic congestion at P D'Mello Junction and provide a seamless East-West connectivity across the city. MMRDA said that according to current traffic projections, the tunnel's original design would result in significant vehicular congestion at Marine Drive due to a surge in tunnel exit traffic. The existing lanes will not be able to handle this surge. To accommodate the expected surge, expanding the existing Marine Drive lane configuration, with four lanes towards Nariman Point and four lanes towards P D'Mello Road and MbPT parking, was proposed, which has now been approved....