A 3-metre corridor, 694 km long: GAIL's expressway gas pipeline breakthrough

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) GAIL (India) Ltd has completed the Mumbai-Nagpur Natural Gas Pipeline (MNPL), a 694-kilometre trunkline built almost entirely inside a 3-metre-wide utility corridor along Maharashtra's Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway, marking India's first major integration of a high-capacity pipeline into a dense transport corridor under the PM-GatiShakti framework.

Stretching across 675 km of expressway corridor, the pipeline posed unprecedented engineering and logistical challenges. Conventional pipelines typically require 20-30 metres of workspace; here, GAIL had to install a 24-inch high-capacity gas line within the width of an average footpath while simultaneously coordinating with expressway construction across multiple packages managed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

Around 675 km, or 96 per cent, of the pipeline runs inside a utility strip just three metres wide along the expressway, a constraint that fundamentally shaped engineering design and construction methods, officials said.

The pipeline, with a capacity of about 16.5 million standard cubic metres per day and bi-directional flow capability, is nearing full operational completion.

ENGINEERING FEATS IN THE WESTERN GHATS Detailing the engineering feat accomplished by the state-owned gas transportation and marketing utility, officials said the steep terrain of the Western Ghats, especially near Fugale hill, presented the toughest challenge.

Elevation differences exceeding 200 metres, rocky slopes, dense forest, and monsoon rains required a hybrid construction approach. Engineers combined horizontal directional drilling (HDD) with a thruster system to safely pull nearly a kilometre of pipeline through a steep profile, a technique rarely used in India.

Monsoon months were managed through slope stabilisation, dewatering, and protective measures to maintain safety and minimise rework, demonstrating disciplined project execution under extreme conditions.

The pipeline navigated multiple forest, railway, and highway clearances across 10 districts covering 56 km.

The pipeline received regulatory authorisation in May 2020 but faced delays due to pandemic-related disruptions and forest clearances across 10 districts covering about 56 km, which were granted in April 2023.

GAIL adjusted work sequences and deployment to maintain momentum as stretches were handed over.

Throughout execution, daily coordination was required between multiple expressway packages and three pipeline sections, creating a joint working model now seen as a reference for future corridor-based infrastructure projects.

Daily coordination meetings aligned 16 expressway packages with three pipeline sections, enabling synchronised progress without delays, they said.

ECONOMIC AND ENERGY IMPACT The Mumbai-Nagpur pipeline is expected to significantly expand access to natural gas across Maharashtra, enabling city gas distribution networks in 16 districts, supporting piped natural gas connections for an estimated 95 lakh households and supplying fuel to more than 1,700 CNG stations.

Officials said the pipeline will support growth in sectors such as power generation, fertilisers, chemicals and manufacturing, while enabling cleaner fuel adoption along the Samruddhi Mahamarg corridor.

Availability of gas would also encourage establishment of small and medium-scale industries along the pipeline route, promoting regional economic growth and entrepreneurship, officials said, adding that the pipeline's alignment with Samruddhi Mahamarg supports the creation of new commercial zones, logistics hubs, and CNG stations, increasing regional connectivity and convenience.

GAIL's MNPL demonstrates that expressways can double as utility corridors, reducing land acquisition challenges and accelerating infrastructure deployment. Officials say the project is now a blueprint for future multi-utility corridors under India's GatiShakti framework.

Infrastructure planners say the MNPL demonstrates the feasibility of integrating energy infrastructure into transport corridors at the planning stage, reducing land acquisition challenges and social impact.

"The project shows how expressways can double up as utility corridors if coordination, clearances and engineering flexibility are built in early," an official said.

Conceived as a backbone of Maharashtra's gas supply and a major link in the National Gas Grid, the project is now nearing full operational completion after delivering 18.7 million safe man-hours, multiple HDD breakthroughs, and an unprecedented collaboration model with the MSRDC.

The MNPL experience is now being cited as a blueprint for future gas and utility networks under India's expanding GatiShakti framework.

"Building a 694-km pipeline inside a 3-metre corridor proves that India can deliver next-generation infrastructure even in the toughest geographies," an official said.

They said the MNPL demonstrates the strategic value of integrating utility corridors with transport infrastructure. By aligning a high-capacity gas pipeline alongside the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway, the project validates the PM GatiShakti approach, showing that future expressway and infrastructure projects can incorporate permanent multi-utility ducts to accelerate energy and digital networks while minimising land acquisition.

The MNPL also highlights the importance of front-loading statutory clearances and contingency planning. Long trunk pipelines are particularly vulnerable to delays from environmental and forest approvals, making parallel, pre-emptive clearance processes and conservative contingency provisions essential for timely execution.

Beyond its immediate technical achievements, the project serves as a blueprint for future energy expansion along dedicated corridors.

It maximises land use, reduces social friction, and illustrates that even challenging terrains and monsoon conditions cannot halt India’s push for next-generation infrastructure. In essence, the MNPL exemplifies how modern India can deliver complex, high-impact projects successfully. PTI ANZ TRB TRB