CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): On Wednesday, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) commissioned tunnel boring machine (TBM) DZ1040, named Siruvani, for the Chennai Metro Phase 2 project. This 6.65-meter earth pressure balance (EPB) machine marks the third of eight TBMs commencing tunneling activities on Line-3’s Package TU-02, connecting Kellys and Taramani Road Junction stations.
Manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry (CRCHI), TBM Siruvani successfully passed factory acceptance tests in the summer of 2022. It is now set to travel southward from Chetpet Station towards Sterling Road, covering an initial distance of approximately 705 meters.
L&T, the project contractor, will deploy TBM Siruvani and seven other TBMs to construct 12 twin tunnels, (a total of 24 kilometres) between Kellys and Taramani Road Junction stations. The contract for Package TU-02, valued at Rs. 2385 crore, was awarded to L&T by Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) in May 2021, with a 42-month deadline.
In addition to tunnel construction, L&T will also be responsible for building diaphragm walls and entry/exit structures at various stations, including Chetpet Station, Royapettah Government Hospital Station, Thiruvanmiyu Station, and part of the diaphragm wall at Greenways Road Station. This encompasses the launching and retrieval shafts at these stations.
In June, L&T initiated the process of lowering the parts of TBM Siruvani into Chetpet Station. So far, the machine has built two temporary rings inside the shaft for its initial drive, with its backup gantry set to be attached later for the primary drive.
