CMRL fast tracks tunneling work on the Phase-II project
The tunnelling work for the third corridor of the Chennai Metro's Phase II project, which connects Madhavaram Milk Colony with Siruseri Sipcot, covering a distance of 45.8 km, is progressing rapidly. The tunnel boring machine (TBM) named Kaveri is currently carrying out tunnelling work under the Adyar River and is expected to bore a 400m metro tunnel, around 20m below the river bed. This will be the first metro tunnel in Chennai to be built under the Adyar River. The total length of the tunnel and its approaching stretch is 1.2 km, connecting the Greenways Road metro station to the Adyar Junction metro station. From Greenways Road, the TBM will tunnel through Durgabai Deshmukh Road, crossing the Adyar near Thiru Vi Ka Bridge before reaching Adyar junction, where a station will be built. The tunnel wall will be 35cm thick and may be increased to 45cm depending on the pressure under the river. The TBM is expected to complete the river bed tunnelling by July and reach Adyar junction in November, according to an official spokesperson. The Phase II project of Chennai Metro has three new corridors with a total length of 118.9 km, and the combined investment for these corridors is Rs 69,180 crore.