Work on the proposed monorail in the city could possibly begin in February next year, E. Sreedharan, principal advisor to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), said here on Saturday.
He said the contract for the Rs.1,991-crore project would be awarded in February. Tenders for the technical bids would be opened on October 15. Originally, it was scheduled to be held on October 1. The qualified bids would be subsequently forwarded to the State government for evaluation.
The monorail project would be implemented in two phases in the city. In the first phase, it will be from the Government Medical College, Kozhikode, to Mananchira and the second phase, from Mananchira to Meenchantha, Mr. Sreedharan said.
The agency faced difficulties in acquiring land for the second phase of the project. However, the issue would be sorted out shortly.
The construction of a rail overbridge at Panniyankara proposed on the route between Mananchira and Meenchantha would start in December, said Mr. Sreedharan, who was in the city for a pre-bid meeting.
Eight firms
Eight firms had evinced interest in constructing the rail overbridge at Panniyankara. The total cost of the project will be Rs.33.09 crore. It would be completed within 18 months.
15 stops
The monorail will be a 14.2-km stretch from the hostel of the medical college to Meenchantha Junction. There will be two terminal stations and 13 intermediate depots.
The proposed corridor passes through major areas within the city such as Mavoor Road, Mananchira, Palayam, and Kallai, and also gives access to the Mofussil bus station and the railway station.
