Metro viaduct to be ready by October

February 06, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:35 am IST

The Kochi metro viaduct at Muttom near Aluva. —Photo: Vipin Chandran

The Kochi metro viaduct at Muttom near Aluva. —Photo: Vipin Chandran

ochi Metro’s 18-km viaduct in the Aluva-Maharaja’s College Ground stretch (metro’s Reach 1) will be ready by October this year, despite continuing delay in acquiring land.

All civil works in the reach were initially slated to be over by June this year, two years since works began in June 2013. Sources said KMRL urgently needed 32 cents of land owned by Seemati Textiles on M.G. Road to commence piling. Widening narrow parts of Kaloor-Deshabhimani Junction and the stretch between Palarivattom and international stadium are crucial for launching girders in the area, they said.

Road-widening is at a standstill despite Revenue Department’s survey revealing that many shops have encroached into government land. Despite these hassles, metro contractors are confident of making up for delays by focusing on areas where piling has not yet begun. The sole pre-requisite is speedy handing over of land since works will slow down when monsoon begins in late May.

Meanwhile, it is reliably learnt that Seemati has offered their land free of cost for the project.

“An MoU will be signed with the firm and a fine print is being negotiated. They have sought the right to park customers’ vehicles beneath the via duct and permission to landscape the area, under Kochi Metro Rail Limited’s (KMRL) supervision,” sources said.

Elaborating on the metro’s revised time line, officials said that the viaduct will be handed over to the track-laying contractor once civil works are over by October. This work is scheduled to be over by December end. Work on third traction (sourcing power from line laid in between rails) should be over by January 2016, while installing signals and telecommunication would be done in February 2016.

“Trial run of trains is slated to begin by April, followed by Commissioner for Railway Safety’s inspection and issuing safety certificate. Reach 1 is expected to be commissioned by June 2016, three years since works began,” they added.

The operational control centre, test track, five stabling lines and other amenities at metro’s coach-maintenance yard at Muttom near Aluva are expected to be over by December this year. Levelling and related earth works are in the final stage.

Moving beyond metro’s Reach-1, funds are awaited for compensation for land owners in the Jos Junction-Ernakulam Junction railway station-Manorama Junction corridor.

A highlight of the stretch is a 90-metre-long balanced cantilever or steel girder span over railway tracks at the station.

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