Rs 85 bn Madurai Metro to start construction in 2024 and end in 2027

The Detailed Project Report (DPR), due to be finished by June, is an indication that the Madurai Metro Rail project is progressing significantly. The metro's construction will start in 2024 and should be completed by the end of 2027, according to MA Siddique, Managing Director, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). With a history spanning more than 2,500 years, Madurai is one of the oldest towns in the world to have been continuously inhabited. It is the third-largest city in terms of people and the second- largest city in terms of area in the state. From Thirumangalam to Othakadai, a distance of 31 km, is the projected length of the Phase-I metro project. Of the 18 stations, 14 will be elevated and four will be underground. The first 26 kilometres of the metro will be on an elevated section, and the final 5 kilometres, which will be underground, will travel through neighbourhoods around temples. “The road from Goripal ayam to Vasantha Nagar in front of Meenakshi Amman temple will be tunnelled under Vaigai river because Madurai is an ancient city, to protect its legacy, added Siddique. The project is anticipated to cost around Rs 85 billion, with central and state governments contributing 20% and outside investors contributing 60%. The DPR will provide data on the project's implementation strategy, social and economic implications, cost breakdown, and traffic study, according to a press statement from CMRL. For the purpose of creating the DPR for the Madurai Metro in February 2023, the state government had issued Rs 30 million tender.