Chennai Metro Update: TBM ‘Bhavani’ To Reach RK Salai In 7 Months, Greenways Road TBMs Cross Adyar River

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has recently launched tunneling operations in Royapettah as part of its ambitious Phase II Project. The latest development in the expansion of the state capital's metro network sees the tunnel boring machine (TBM) 'Bhavani' carving its path towards RK Salai.

The extensive Phase II Project includes the construction of an underground station in Royapettah, with a substantial investment of Rs 250 crore allocated for this segment of Corridor 3, which stretches from Madhavaram to SIPCOT.

The Royapettah Metro station, designed to be situated beneath Westcott Road, will be constructed at a depth of 21.5 meters. The station will measure 150 meters in length and 22 meters in width, according to a report in The Hindu.

CMRL officials have outlined that a total of four TBMs will be deployed from the Royapettah site. Of these, two will tunnel towards RK Salai, while the remaining two will head towards Thousand Lights.

The TBM 'Bhavani' has begun its boring operations and is expected to take approximately seven months to cover the 910 meters needed to reach RK Salai. This section will involve traversing a mix of clay and weathered rock. In the coming weeks, a second TBM will also commence its journey towards RK Salai.

Meanwhile, at Adyar, the two TBMs that began drilling from Greenways Road have successfully crossed the Adyar River and are now advancing towards the Adyar Metro station. However, the progress has been slower than anticipated due to challenging rock formations.

Corridor 3, which features an extensive underground network connecting key areas such as Madhavaram, Ayanavaram, Purasawalkam, Nungambakkam, Thousand Lights, Royapettah, and Adyar, is projected to be fully operational within the next four years.

This development marks a significant step forward in expanding Chennai's metro infrastructure and enhancing urban mobility.

Meanwhile, the Union Budget has not given a reason to cheer for Tamil Nadu as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not allocate funds for Chennai Metro Phase 2, future Chennai Metro lines, or the metro projects in Coimbatore and Madurai.