Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is reportedly planning to start tunnelling between Kolathur and Villivakkam within two weeks, as part of the ongoing Phase-2 works.
CMRL, an entity jointly owned by the Government of India and the state government of Tamil Nadu, is responsible for developing and operating the metro rail system in Chennai.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal for the Phase-2 expansion of the Chennai Metro Rail Project, with three new corridors.
The Corridor 3 will span 45.8km, from Madhavaram to SIPCOT and comprise 50 stations.
Corridor 4 will cover 26.1km from Lighthouse to Poonamalle Bypass and have 30 stations, and Corridor 5 will extend 47km between Madhavaram and Sholinganallur with 48 stations.
With an estimated cost of INR632.46bn ($7.3bn), the Phase 2 expansion is anticipated to add 118.9km of new lines and 128 new stations to the network.
Once completed and fully operational, which is expected in 2027, the city of Chennai is expected to have a total Metro Rail network of 173km.
Corridor 5 starts as an elevated stretch from Madhavaram up to Retteri, and goes underground at Kolathur Junction and continues till Villivakkam MTH Road, reported by The Hindu.
This corridor comprises the only underground stretch between Kolathur and Villivakkam and works in this section have been delayed for more than a year.
The 5km underground segment has stations at Kolathur Junction, Srinivasa Nagar, Villivakkam Metro, Villivakkam Bus Terminus and Villivakkam MTH Road.
According to the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) officials, the tunnelling works will begin at Kolathur this month, where the tunnel boring machine (TBM) Kurinji is already in place.
Once completed, the project will help people in Kolathur and Villivakkam areas with improved connectivity to areas in southern Chennai, such as Mylapore, Adyar, and OMR.
The publication quoted a CMRL official as saying: “The preparatory work is underway for the launch. The total distance between Kolathur and Nathamuni is nearly 5km but, as is always done, the tunnelling will be carried out in short stretches.
“First, the TBM will be lowered at a shaft created in Kolathur and bore towards the Kolathur Metro Rail station, a distance of 500m.
“Subsequently, it will be relaunched from the Kolathur station in about four months, and it will drill towards Srinivasa Nagar.”
