The uncertainty over Kochi metro’s civil works on the Ernakulam South-Vyttila stretch is set to end with new contractors expected to commence work in the coming week. It is learnt that the work will most likely be entrusted to Soma Constructions and L&T – contracting firms that are, at present, carrying out the metro’s civil works on the Aluva-Ernakulam South stretch.
Era-Ranken, which was initially entrusted with civil works in the Ernakulam South-Pettah reach, was ‘partially offloaded’ off the full reach in December after it emerged that the firm might not be able to execute the work on time. Subsequently, it was asked to confine civil works to the 3-km Vyttila-Pettah stretch, for which piling is underway near Vyttila Mobility Hub. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) then decided to entrust work on S.A. Road to other firms to prevent delay and ensure that there was no cost escalation. Soma and L&T have the advantage of already having men and machine here for ongoing metro works.
It is reliably learnt that Soma Constructions will commence piling in the 1.6-km-long South overbridge-Elamkulam (Dream Hotel) reach within a fortnight. “The estimate for civil works on the stretch is expected to be around Rs. 100 crore. This includes construction of the metro’s via duct and the Kadavanthra station,” sources said.
The firm is expected to widen narrow portions of the road from Monday before erecting barricades for piling. It is also expected to shift electric posts, cables and resurface portions of S.A. Road that the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) had dug up for relocating pipelines.
L&T is likely to be awarded civil works on the Elamkulam-Vyttila stretch, a distance of over a kilometre. A formal announcement on handing over the work to the two firms is expected shortly.