CMRL rumbles under the streets at 5 stations
Each Metro station on Kutchery Road, Alwarpet, Bharathidasan Road, Thirumayilai and Pattalam is being constructed underground and will have three levels respectively, stacked over one another.
CMRL 3: The 3D image of Thirumayilai Metro station, which is 35 metres below the ground, constructed in a stacked manner. The route will be operated between Madhavaram and SIPCOT.
CHENNAI: The stacked design of the Metro construction in corridor 4, including Kutchery Road, is going on in full swing by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).
As per CMRL officials, the construction of diaphragm walls in corridor 4, where phase II stations at Kutchery Road, Alwarpet, and Bharathidasan Road, have been earmarked is currently underway.
In the case of the other two stacked stations in corridor 3 – Thirumayilai and Pattalam – the mobilisation work is in its initial stages, say officials. “For corridor 3 stacked stations, the trenching and utility identification works are currently being done,” added the official.
After Spain and Delhi, CMRL is attempting the stacked design construction for 5 Metro stations in the underground corridors 3 and 4 – Kutchery Raad, Alwarpet, Bharathidasan Road, Thirumayilai, and Pattalam. The construction of these stations is being done by ITD Cementation India, TATA Projects, and Rail Vikas Nigam.
Though a common international practice, stacked design is one-of-a-kind construction in India. It was adopted by CMRL due to serious space constraints on Kutchery Road and Mylapore. A CMRL official said, “After Light House station, you’ll have Kutchery Road, Thirumayilai, Alwarpet, and Bharatidasan Road stations. First, the lower slab is constructed and then it’s carried upwards. By this design, the Thirumayilai station is the deepest in the phase II construction, which is 35 metres. Thirumayilai station operation will commence in 2028.”
Thirumayilai station consists of 3 platforms and overall, will have four levels, including the concourse. The trains will ply between Madhavaram and Sipcot in 3 levels — the lowest level of 35 metres deep, followed by the 24-metre deep second level and the third level would be 17 metres deep.
“Stacked construction is adopted where the land area is less. Hence, the construction is a challenge. In this design, the stations will not be parallel to each other. Instead, the construction of platforms will be done one above the other in a vertical alignment,” the official said.
Some of the reasons for adopting the stacked designs are narrow roads, high urban density, land acquisition, building slicing and demolition, resettlement issues, and relevant social impact.