The Godavari tunnel boring machine (TBM), crucial to the ongoing work at Majestic interchange metro station, has hit hard rock delaying the work by at least six months. This is the second TBM that has hit hard rock on the East-West Corridor. Earlier, Krishna TBM had got stuck under K.R. Market.
A source in BMRCL said Godavari TBM, which is tunnelling 60 ft below the ground through 954 m from Mantri Square to Majestic, stopped working six months ago after it hit hard rock at a place behind Khoday Factory adjacent to the railway track. A temporary shaft has been constructed to get the TBM to restart work.
The challenges for Namma Metro are not limited to only the TBM. While BMRCL is already behind schedule by six months, the company is facing problems since the start of the work two years ago.
The interchange is located on the site which was once a tankbed with water four metres below the ground. A part of the site has hard rock but blasting is restricted to two hours between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. as it is a densely populated area. It includes the busy Tank Bund Road, which is supported by two pillars and construction of the station is going on below it. Besides that, the challenge for the workers is to ensure that no damage is caused to two water tanks, one belonging to BWSSB, and the other to the Railways.
However, Pradeep Singh Kharola, Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited, said it would not delay completion of Majestic interchange station.
He said: “The Godavari TBM should be able to restart work by February-end, and Majestic station will be ready in seven months from now”.
At present, the Majestic station is 65 per cent complete. The “base slab” for both is complete and track-laying work on the East-West Corridor has begun.
