Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) may take another five to six months to begin work on the underground stations on the Madhavaram-Taramani stretch in phase II project.
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The ₹61,843-crore phase II project comprising three corridors of Madhavaram to SIPCOT (corridor 3), Light House to Poonamallee (corridor 4) and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (corridor 5) began two years ago and has picked up momentum at a few places. Work on the Madhavaram-Taramani line in corridor 3 has been delayed right from the tender stage.
Initially, the bidders quoted a high price forcing the CMRL to cancel the tenders. Later, the loan conditions (an international bank will provide huge funding for construction of this stretch) were modified to attract more bidders. According to officials, though they had finalised three firms for building the underground stations, the contract was being awarded one after the other.
“The contractors will begin the survey, geotechnical investigation and utility diversion work now. But to mobilise equipment such as trench-cutters, other material and manpower it could take a few months and by the time they start the construction work, it could take about five to six months. Only on a small stretch between Ayanavaram and Kellys alone, the work may start a little early,” an official said.
The stretch was once a part of the priority corridor in the phase II project and planned to be opened first. But now, the work has been delayed by nearly one-and-a-half years and may be opened only after five years.