GAIL’s expressway pipeline marks 1st of its kind integration milestone
New Delhi: GAIL (India) Ltd has completed the Mumbai–Nagpur Natural Gas Pipeline (MNPL), a 694-kilometre trunkline laid almost entirely within a three-metre-wide utility corridor along Maharashtra’s Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway. The project marks India’s first major integration of a high-capacity gas pipeline into a dense transport corridor under the PM GatiShakti framework.
Around 675 km, or nearly 96 per cent, of the pipeline runs inside the narrow utility strip along the expressway. Conventional pipelines typically require 20–30 metres of workspace, but GAIL executed the project within the width of an average footpath while coordinating construction across multiple expressway packages handled by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The pipeline, with a capacity of about 16.5 million standard cubic metres per day and bi-directional flow capability, is nearing full operational readiness.
ENGINEERING FEATS IN THE WESTERN GHATS
Officials said the most demanding stretch lay in the Western Ghats, particularly near Fugale hill, where elevation differences exceeded 200 metres amid rocky terrain, dense forests and heavy monsoon conditions. Engineers adopted a hybrid construction approach, combining horizontal directional drilling with a thruster system to pull nearly one kilometre of pipeline through steep gradients — a technique rarely deployed in India.
During monsoon months, slope stabilisation, dewatering and protective measures were implemented to maintain safety and limit rework. The pipeline also traversed forest, railway and highway crossings across 10 districts, covering about 56 km that required complex statutory clearances.
Although the project received regulatory authorisation in May 2020, progress was slowed by pandemic-related disruptions and delays in forest approvals, which were granted in April 2023. GAIL adjusted work sequencing and deployment to sustain momentum as land parcels were progressively handed over.
Daily coordination meetings aligned 16 expressway packages with three pipeline sections, creating a joint working model that officials say could serve as a reference for future corridor-based infrastructure projects.
ECONOMIC AND ENERGY IMPACT
The MNPL is expected to significantly expand access to natural gas across Maharashtra. It will support city gas distribution networks in 16 districts, enable piped natural gas connections for an estimated 95 lakh households, and supply fuel to over 1,700 CNG stations.
Officials said the pipeline would aid growth in power generation, fertilisers, chemicals and manufacturing, while accelerating adoption of cleaner fuels along the Samruddhi Mahamarg corridor. The availability of gas is also expected to encourage the development of small and medium enterprises, promote entrepreneurship and support the emergence of new commercial zones, logistics hubs and CNG stations along the route. GAIL officials and infrastructure planners said the MNPL demonstrates how expressways can double as utility corridors, reducing land acquisition challenges and social impact while accelerating infrastructure rollout.
Conceived as a backbone of Maharashtra’s gas supply and a key link in the National Gas Grid, the project has delivered 18.7 million safe man-hours and an unprecedented collaboration model with MSRDC.
The MNPL is now being cited as a blueprint for future gas and multi-utility corridors under India’s expanding GatiShakti framework, showcasing the strategic value of integrating energy infrastructure with transport planning from the outset.
