CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) recently awarded a contract to a contractor for the construction of an underground metro line to connect main city areas such as Marina Beach, Mylapore, Alwarpet, Nandanam, and T Nagar.
ITD Cementation India Limited has been awarded contracts to build twin tunnels and ten underground stations between Lighthouse at Marina Beach and the Kodambakkam overpass, according to officials. The 10-kilometre route will be part of the 26.1-kilometre corridor-4 bypass that runs from the Lighthouse to Poonamallee.
Contracts for the entire corridor-4, as well as the Poonamallee depot, have been granted as a result of this. While the new length has a four-year deadline, the 118.9-kilometre phase-2 is projected to be completed by 2026.
R Ramanathan, former CMRL director stated “Once a tender is awarded for an underground stretch, it usually takes an average six months for the construction to begin because the firm has to mobilise machinery and manpower. In case of underground lines, they have to import tunnel boring machines”.
The construction firm was awarded contracts for two underground stretches on corridor-4, from LightHouse to Bharathidasan Road station, spanning a 5.15-kilometer underground line with five stations, according to officials. Light House, Kutchery Road, Alwarpet, and Bharathidasan Road are among them. As part of corridor-3, an interchange station connecting corridors 3 and 4 will be built at Thirumayilai (Mylapore).
A 4.87-kilometer underground line from Boat Club to the Kodambakkam flyover is part of the other contract. Five stations will be located at Boat Club, Nandanam, Panagal Park, Kodambakkam, and the Kodambakkam flyover, as well as a crossover at Panagal Park enabling trains to change tracks.
According to Ramanathan, the diaphragm wall or outer walls of the stations are normally erected by cutting through the soil from the road’s surface before the tunnel construction begins. Then the soil within the four walls will be excavated before tunnel boring machines are assembled and deployed through a shaft cut through the soil. It’s possible that the construction of the walls will take a few more months.