CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): In Chennai Metro’s phase 2 project, the construction work on the elevated line of the Poonamallee-Lighthouse corridor between Poonamallee and Power House at Kodambakkam has been speeding up with the first pair of U-girders placed on the pillars near Sri Ramachandra Hospital.
A source from CMRL said that the contractor has constructed pillars on the central median of Mount-Poonamallee Road from Porur Lake to Iyyappanthangal for about 3 km. The source added that in the 45-km phase-1 corridor, the CMRL used box girders made of multiple precast segments, which used to take 4-5 days to assemble between two pillars that were 20-25 metres apart. “In case of a U-girder, it can be assembled in a day between two pillars,” an official said.
In the phase-1 extension line, CMRL used the U-girders on the elevated section. As per the DPR for phase-2, the girders have different structural elements. They can hold coaches on the bridge in case of an accident which can cause the metro to come off track. It has a maintenance and evacuation path on both sides of the track with cable support and a sound barrier.
The deadline to complete this line is June 2025. Meanwhile, no traffic rerouting was done for the elevated stretch between Poonamallee and Porur but the police have diverted traffic along Arcot Road for the construction of the line from Porur to Power House.
