The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) on Friday said the construction of the Metro Line 3 project, the city’s first underground rail network, is on schedule. The project will be commissioned according to the original schedule though the work commenced a few months late.
The MMRC said the work on the casting yards at all seven packages of the ₹23,136-crore project is in full swing. The agency said in a statement, “The launching shafts for the Tunnel Boring Machines in Naya Nagar, Azad Maidan and Pali Ground are in an advanced stage of completion. Launching Shafts at other locations are also progressing well. The sewage lines in Dadar have been shifted.”
Taking stock
Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director, MMRC, said, “The progress of the work has been satisfactory and is expected to be completed by 2021. We at MMRC have been taking necessary measures for the timely completion of the project.” Ms. Bhide has been reviewing the work on the alignment of Colaba- Bandra- Seepz Metro Line 3 project. She said the Tunnel Boring Machines are expected to begin the tunnelling work from October. The first TBM is being launched from the launching shaft at Naya Nagar.
The Metro 3 project is divided into two phases. Phase I — from Aarey to Bandra Kurla Complex — is expected to be completed by September 2020 and Phase II — from Bandra Kurla Complex to Colaba — should be completed by March 2021.
TBMs to be deployed
Work on the seven packages is undergoing simultaneously and the stations will be located 22 to 23 metres beneath the ground. The contractors need to secure the walls of the stations during the piling work. The stations ‘boxes’ are 280 metres long and 27 metres wide. At every one kilometre there will be a station. A total of 17 TBMs will be deployed to undertake the tunnelling work on the 23.5-km underground route. The TBMs will start arriving in Mumbai from July.
The contracts were awarded in September 2016 and the contractors have completed the geo-technical investigations, utility identification, setting up of casting yards and critical activity of design based on the investigations. JICA will fund 57% of the project cost at 1.4% interest. MMRC has a moratorium of 10 years and will pay back the loan in 30 years.
