Stalin flags off tunneling work for Metro phase-II

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday flagged off the tunneling work for Phase-II of Chennai Metro from Madhavaram Milk colony Metro station.

Initially, the tunneling work will be carried out for a distance of 1.4 kilometers from Madhavaram Milk Colony station to Madhavaram Highways station and then will be extended till Kellys for a distance of 9 kilometres.

Under phase-II, two tunnel boring machines will bore the earth from Madhavaram to Kellys. The tunnel boring machines from China weigh nearly 600 tonnes each and can drill 10 metres a day. Third corridor of Chennai Metro is from Madhavaram to Taramani for a distance of 26.7 kilometres. In the third corridor, works for tunneling and laying diaphragm walls have commenced.

The State government gave in-principle approval for three corridors under phase-II of Chennai Metro rail project for a total distance of 118.9 kilometres at the total cost of Rs 63,246 crore and the proposal has been sent to the Union government for approval. Under phase-II, corridors III, IV and V will be carried out. Out of the total distance, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fund for a distance of 52.01 kilometers and the remaining 66.89 kilometres, the project will be funded by Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank.

Corridor-III will be from Madhavaram to Siruseri SIPCOT for a total distance of 45.8 kilometres, corridor-IV will be from Light House to Poonamallee bypass road for a distance of 26.1 kilometres and corridor-V will be from Madhavaram to Sozhinganallur for a distance of 47 metres. For implementing the phase-II of Chennai metro rail project, 24 agreements needed to be signed and so far 15 agreements were signed. Apart from them, 36 agreements for installing systems need to be signed and so far two agreements were signed.

In the corridor-III, the state government has approved funds for a distance of 26.7 kilometres from Madhavaram to Taramani and agreements for setting up of two tunnels have been signed and construction works are underway.