The 118.9-km Phase II project of Chennai Metro Rail is set to cover another 93 km in the coming years and the plan is to extend it till Parandur, where a greenfield airport has been proposed.
The ₹61,843-crore Phase II project has been planned with three corridors — Corridor 3 with 45.8-km Madhavaram-Siruseri line, Corridor 4 covering Lighthouse and Poonamallee (26.1 km) and Corridor 5 running from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (47.0 km).
The Corridor 4 will be extended till Parandur (50 km), Corridor 5 to Avadi through Thirumangalam and Mogappair (17 km) and Corridor 3 from Siruseri to Kilambakkam Bus Terminus via Kelambakkam (26 km).
A consultant will soon be hired to do a detailed feasibility study for these extensions and submit a report with recommendations, CMRL officials said.
“We have just floated a request for a proposal to select a consultant for these corridors. The consultant will go through the existing reports such as comprehensive mobility plan, the present transport routes and development plans. The consultant will come back to us with a report in a few months,” an official said.
The report will include congestion levels, peak hour travel, travel demand in these corridors for the next 30 years, estimated cost involved to build them, public and private funding needed, social and environmental impact and various other aspects.
There is a plan to extend the Metro Rail from Chennai airport to Kilambakkam where a bus terminus is coming up. The CMRL has submitted the detailed project report to the State government. This line will give the commuters access to the bus terminus from different locations, the sources said.
Unlike the other stretches, the route to Parandur is likely to have fewer stations after the city’s main areas are covered, the sources said. “The distance between stations will increase and only the areas which have a good travel demand will be taken up for now. Otherwise, when there is a future need, stations can be built later,” an official said.
Published - September 16, 2022 09:21 pm IST