Shortly after the Centre steered cleared the Phase I extension of the mega Chennai metro project at a cost of Rs. 3,770cr, Afcons Infrastructure Limited is all set to start the tunneling work for the underground stretch. The company has already carried out tunneling in areas such as Anna Salai, Madras High Court, and Saidapet on the corridor. The Phase I extension will cover a 9-km stretch from Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar, whereby the stretch from Washermanpet to Korukkupet will be underground and the rest will be elevated. The total cost of the project will be shared by the Governments of India and Tamil Nadu whereby the Centre will contribute about Rs. 713-cr and the State will pitch in with Rs. 916-cr and that the remaining Rs. 2,141-cr will be arranged via loans and the entire project is slated for commissioning in the next three years, said official sources.
