PATNA(Metro Rail News): Full preparations are underway for the launch of the first tunnel boring machines (TBM) for the construction of twin tunnels beneath Corridor II (Patna station-Patliputra Bus Terminal) as part of the Patna metro rail project. In the first week of March, construction of the underground tunnels for Phase I is scheduled to commence at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, as per the recent announcement by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC).
At a depth of 20 metres, a launching shaft has been readied to lower the TBMs for the construction of twin tunnels, placed at a distance of 1 metre apart. Upon completion of the downline tunnel from Moin-ul-Haq Stadium to SK Memorial Hall, the machines will be retrieved from Gandhi Maidan, where a retrieval shaft will be made.
The underground tunnel work for Corridor II’s Rajendra Nagar to Patna Junction has been separated into phases. During the first phase, the TBMs will dig a 3.6-metre-long tunnel between Moin-ul-Haq Stadium and SK Memorial Hall. A launching shaft has already been prepared, and the launch is expected to occur before Holi. An official stated that both machines would operate parallelly in the same direction towards Gandhi Maidan via NIT More from the stadium.
As per the source, in the second phase of the project, the machines will be lowered at Gandhi Maidan and will cover the distance up to Patna Junction, which is 1.4 km long. Before starting this phase, two more TBMs will be procured, which will be lowered at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium and retrieved at Rajendra Nagar, covering a distance of 700 metres. The expected timeline for the completion of the underground tunnel construction for Corridor II is 30 months. The daily maximum bore rate of the TBMs will depend on the geological conditions and is typically around 30 metres.
Corridor II, which includes a 6.6 km priority corridor (Malahi Pakri, Khemnichak, Bhoothnath, Zero Mile, and New ISBT), will be 14.5 km in length and is expected to be completed by 2025. The underground network spanning 7.9 km will be completed by 2026, with an interchangeable station at Patna Junction. The remaining underground stations include Rajendra Nagar, Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, University, PMCH, Akashvani and Gandhi Maidan.
