Chennai Metro Phase 2 Marks Twin TBM Milestone at Kolathur

05 Dec 2025 CW Team

Chennai Metro Phase 2 has achieved a significant milestone as a TBM breakthrough and a TBM launch occurred at Kolathur Metro Station on the same day—an industry first in India. The development took place under Package UG-06 of Corridor 5, which spans 47 km from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur.

TBM S97 ‘Mullai’ completed its breakthrough between Kolathur Ramp and Kolathur Station after boring 246 metres since 23 May 2025. The operation involved navigating a low overburden of 1.8 metres, a gradient of –3.8 per cent, and challenging ground conditions in a busy urban area.

At the same time, TBM S120 ‘Kurinji’ was launched from Kolathur Station towards Srinivasa Nagar for a 1,060-metre tunnel drive. This stretch passes through Grade-4 and Grade-5 rocky strata and incorporates a sharp 230-metre curve.

Senior officials from Chennai Metro Rail Limited, Tata Projects, and the General Consultant team were present to mark the achievement, which adds momentum to the progress of Corridor 5.

Infrastructure Transport

12 Jan 2026

Dhalbhumgarh Airport Faces 150-km Rule Hurdle

The issue has resurfaced following a recent statement by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who said that under existing aviation policy, a new greenfield airport is generally not permitted within an aerial distance of 150 kilometres of an operational civilian airport. He added, however, that if a formal proposal is submitted, its impact on the existing airport can be examined and relaxations may be considered on a case-by-case basis. While the clarification has revived some hope for Dhalbhumgarh, it has also underlined the scale of the technical challenge facing the project. Unde..

Stakeholders Seek Parallel Ops For Vizag Airports

With road and metro rail links to Bhogapuram still several years away, stakeholders in north Andhra Pradesh have renewed demands to continue civil operations at INS Dega even after the commissioning of Bhogapuram International Airport. The new airport is expected to begin commercial operations from June. Officials said close to 80 per cent of the airport infrastructure at Bhogapuram, including the terminal building and internal approach roads, has already been completed. However, inadequate external connectivity remains a key concern. Making a case for parallel operations, Andhra Pradesh Air ..

Govt To Roll Out V2V Tech To Cut Road Crashes

In an effort to curb road accidents, particularly in low-visibility conditions such as dense fog, the government is set to roll out vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology that will allow cars to exchange real-time data and alert drivers to potential dangers. The announcement was made by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari after the 43rd meeting of the Transport Development Council. The technology involves installing an on-board unit (OBU) in vehicles, enabling wireless data exchange between nearby cars. This will allow vehicles to share information such as spee..