The 300-metre road connecting the highway to the metro yard at Muttom to facilitate the movement of Kochi metro vehicles will be open for service by August 15.
According to officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), work on the 24- metre railway underpass along the new stretch is moving in full swing with the monsoon failing to upset the project in the low-lying area. The subway will consist of three pre-stressed concrete boxes having a width of 8.5 metres and height clearance of 5.5 metres each.
“We have erected two temporary girders on the excavated portion and begun pushing through the first box and the work is expected to be completed by July 15,” said a senior metro official. Since the area is prone to water-logging, the DMRC is also planning to install an automated water pumping system in the subway.
Traditionally, a subway would have to be built by vertical excavation and large-scale digging. But in box pushing technology, concrete boxes will be pushed with the help of hydraulic jacks into the soil to build the underpass.
“Once opened, the road, constructed at a cost of Rs.4.5 crore, will provide direct access to the Muttom yard and enable transportation of construction materials to the coach maintenance depot and rolling stock in the future. It will also have footpaths to enable the local people to use the facility,” the official said.
Earlier last month, the railways’ safety clearance was given to the DMRC for constructing the Railway Under Bridge (RUB) at the location.
After a spate of accidents, the Choornikara panchayat had demanded an underpass at the Ambattukavu Junction and even sanctioned Rs.78 lakh for implementing the project three years back. The project, however, did not take off at that time reportedly due to financial unviability.
