Metro Rail redraws Chennai airport-Kilambakkam plan, to save Rs 1,000 crore
The redesign is the third time that CMRL has reworked the plan, said officials
Chennai metro train
CHENNAI: Realising that the proposed design for the much-anticipated Metro Rail route from Chennai airport to Kilambakkam would entail very high cost, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited and the State Highways Department have gone back to the drawing board to rework the design to bring down the overall construction cost by reducing the height of the structure.
The new design, the third that CMRL has worked on along with the Highways Department, would help reduce the cost by at least Rs 1,000 crore.
Initially, when the first design was being prepared for the proposed Metro Rail stretch from Chennai airport to Kilambakkam, CMRL was planning for a three-level structure: the rail at the highest level, an expressway in the middle, and the existing Pallavaram flyover below it. Similar three-level structures were being planned at Chrompet roundabout and also above Tambaram flyover, too.
“However, at present we are planning the design in two levels. This is the third time that the design is being altered to reduce the overall height for cost effectiveness,” T Archunan, Director (Projects), CMRL, told DT Next.
The decision to rework the design came after the Highway Department and CMRL found after careful deliberations that this design would mean the structure would end up being very high, and would thus incur very high construction cost. This led to the preparation of a second plan.
“As the road width there is nearly 30 metres, they can construct a flyover on either side without integrating it with the proposed Metro line, which will be above the flyover," the official explained.
But even this structure was found to be cost intensive, prompting the officials to return to the drawing board for yet another time about a month ago. “As per the present plan, there will be two levels but at a low height overall, which will help reduce the construction cost by at least Rs 1,000 crore,” Archunan said.
The work on finalising the design is under way, the CMRL official said. “We are working on suitably integrating the Metro line with the existing structures at Pallavaram, Chrompet and Tambaram to reduce height and thus the cost. CMRL will discuss it further with Highways and finalise," he said.
The preparation of the detailed project report for Chennai airport to Kilambakkam Metro Rail line is still under way.