Chennai metro: Tunnelling for Chetpet-Nungambakkam stretch starts July

The commencement of tunnelling in Madhavaram and Greenways Road has paved the way for the construction of twin-tunnels in central city locations, specifically from Chetpet to Nungambakkam, starting in July. A tunnel boring machine (TBM) has been transported to the Chetpet metro station site near Chetpet lake, and it is scheduled to be lowered into the shaft in June. The TBM will be responsible for constructing one of the twin-tunnels that will pass beneath the Sterling Road junction, covering a distance of approximately 850 metres. This particular segment forms part of the 45.8-kilometer corridor-3, stretching from Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri Sipcot. The completion of phase-2, encompassing a total distance of 118.1 kilometres, is expected to occur in stages between 2026 and 2028. The construction of the shaft, where the TBM will ultimately be retrieved, will also serve as a section of the Sterling Road junction metro station. It was anticipated that this construction would begin in the current month. The tunnels will be constructed at a depth of 22 metres in Chetpet, gradually decreasing to 15 metres as they progress towards the Sterling Road junction. The short distance between Chetpet metro station and Sterling Road junction metro station is also included in the contract awarded for the construction of tunnels spanning 12 kilometres from Kellys to Taramani, forming part of corridor-3. Officials have stated that a total of eight TBMs will be deployed to complete this segment. Earlier, tunnelling had commenced at the Greenways Road metro station site near the Adyar river, which is also part of the Kellys to Taramani stretch. Chetpet metro station will serve as an interchange, connecting with Chetpet suburban station. Corridor-3, which traverses the eastern side of the city, links suburban areas such as Madhavaram Milk Colony and the IT corridor on Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) with central city areas like Chetpet, Nungambakkam, Mylapore, and Adyar. Also read: New railway lines to boost connectivity in Odisha PM Modi dedicates Millions to railway projects in Odisha