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The construction of Mumbai Metro Line 3 officially began in January 2017, while the final phase will be inaugurated on October 8, 2025
Mumbai Metro-3: The CSMT station of the aqua line. (FIne/Instagram)
The final stretch of Mumbai Metro-3, from Worli to Cuffe Parade, is set to open on October 8, according to JICA, which will make the aqua line connecting South Mumbai to the suburbs fully operational.
Over the years, the line has been opened in phases, so that city commuters could start commuting to at least half the distance.
How long did it take to build the entire Mumbai Metro-3 corridor and why? Explained
Mumbai Metro-3 was built over 8 years
The project was conceived in 2011. The construction of Mumbai Metro Line 3 officially began in January 2017, while the final phase will be inaugurated on October 8, 2025. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), along with the Government of India, has provided funding for the project.
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This means, it took 8 years and 9 months to get the 33.5-km corridor ready.
Phase 1: The 12.69-km phase from Aarey Colony to Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) was thrown open to the public on October 7, 2024.
Phase 2: The 9.8-km phase two from BKC to Worli was launched on May 9, 2025.
Phase 3: The 10-km phase from Worli (Acharya Atre Chowk) to Cuffe Parade will be inaugurated on October 8, 2025, said JICA.
Why did Mumbai Metro-3 take 8 years? Why do such projects take so long?
Compared to extending an existing automated line (like Paris Line 14), building a completely new underground line is more complex. Also, pandemic-related slowdowns affected infrastructure projects worldwide.
Mumbai is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, which made land acquisition is extremely difficult. Metro-3 is fully underground over 33 km, which led to tunnelling, excavation, and dependence on ground conditions and utility relocations. This made the process time-consuming. Tunnelling in a city like Mumbai means handling mixed geology — basalt rock, reclaimed land and water-logged soils. Water ingress is a major issue, especially near the coast and during monsoons.
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Another factor is the time required for safety approvals, trial runs, inspections.
Unforeseen ground conditions, utility relocation, land acquisition, legal / environmental clearances, supply chain delays, coordination across contractors add to the time taken.
Another issue for a city like Mumbai is the monsoon.
In case of Mumbai Metro-3, alignments passed near or under heritage buildings, crowded markets, and slums, which meant extra caution and time.
Any underground construction near old buildings risks structural damage, prompting legal or public opposition. Litigation from residents, environmentalists, or activists add to the hassle.
Coordination with multiple agencies — MMRC, MMRDA, BMC, railways, traffic police, utilities, etc, too, is tedious .
Is 8 years for a Metro line standard, too early or too late?
A look at some recent examples:
Paris Metro line 13 extension: The fully automated line is expected to be completed by 2032 after work for five years.
Singapore Cross Island MRT: The phase one of the underground, driverless line will open after 8 years in 2030.
So the time taken for Mumbai Metro-3 is in the expected range.
At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies …Read More
At the news desk for 17 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing special copies … Read More
October 05, 2025, 19:01 IST
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