One of the first tunnel boring machines (TBM) that began boring in the city from north Chennai for Chennai Metro Rail Ltd.’s (CMRL) phase II project is expected to reach its first destination next month.
Two TBMs — Anaimalai and Servarayan (named after mountains) – will create a tunnel from Madhavaram to Venugopal Nagar under Corridor 5 (between Madhavaram and Sholinganallur) of the ₹61,843-crore phase II project.
This corridor is a combination of underground and elevated stretch and runs for 44.6 km. The other two routes include Corridor 3 (from Madhavaram to SIPCOT – 45.4 km) and Corridor 4 (from Light House to Poonamallee – 26.1 km).
According to CMRL officials, TBM Anaimalai, which began tunnelling a few months ago from Madhavaram, is expected to reach Venugopal Nagar in the first week of June.
“Of the 410 metres, this TBM has bored 275 metres so far. Two more TBMs have been tunnelling from Madhavaram for Corridor 3 and one of it has bored 790 metres and another has completed 351 metres. These two TBMs have been tunnelling towards the next stop of Madhavaram High Road. It will take a few months for these two machines to reach Madhavaram High Road,” an official said.
For the phase II project, 23 TBMs will be deployed to work round-the- clock across the city to create underground network for train operations. While tunnelling work has taken off only in some locations now, in the coming months, the pace will pick up significantly in other parts of the city too, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the CMRL has been focusing more on finishing the elevated station and viaduct work first between Poonamallee and Porur where train services will take off first.
