The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is confident of readying Kochi metro’s Maharaja’s College-Thykoodam stretch before June 2019 as scheduled, though there is shortage of migrant labourers due to Ramzan season.
But, it might take up to March 2020 to build the 1.20-km-long Thykoodam-Pettah corridor, if land was handed over by September, said sources in DMRC, which is tasked with building the 25-km Aluva-Pettah metro viaduct.
“Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is expected to complete utility shifting in the corridor by September and hand over land to us for piling. It will take approximately 18 months to build the 1.20-km viaduct and ready allied infrastructure,” they said.
KMRL has volunteered to build the metro beyond Pettah, up to S.N. Junction and beyond, up to Thripunithura railway station. While the metro agency has set in motion the land acquisition process in the Pettah-S.N. Junction corridor, the alignment beyond the stretch is being finalised.
Earlier this year, the DMRC had issued notices to the three firms engaged in metro’s civil works, directing them to ramp up manpower to adhere to the June 2019 deadline agreed upon by the DMRC and KMRL to complete the Maharaja’s Ground-Thykoodam stretch. A couple of firms are under fire for not restoring footpaths in the corridor that are either broken or filled with slush. They have also not taken steps to ensure U-turns at key places and installed signboards, causing confusion among motorists.
M.G. Road works
The crucial Maharaja’s College-Ernakulam Junction railway station viaduct is expected to be readied by December.
A heavy-duty crane has arrived to complete girder launch on the Manorama Junction-Vyttila stretch by August. Girder launch in the Vyttila-Kunnara Park stretch would be over by December and in the Kunnara Park-Thykoodam stretch by February 2019, DMRC sources said.
Chambakkara bridge
DMRC has set September 2019 as the deadline to commission Chambakkara Bridge that is being widened to a four-lane. The 95-metre-long balanced-cantilever structure of the viaduct over railway lines at Ernakulam Junction railway station will be readied by August. Ten more segments had to be added to the structure, they said.
