KOCHI: Work on the missing links in the Kochi metro’s MG Road-Pettah corridor will begin on Friday, with test piling set to commence on the day at Jos Junction.
A hydraulic rig has already been brought to the site, while a ‘pooja’ will be conducted to mark the commencement of work by a consortium comprising city-based Cherian Varkey Construction Company and Vizag-based Vijay Nirman Company (CVCC & VNC). The consortium had a fortnight ago won the bid to build the metro viaduct in the Maharaja’s College Ground-Ernakulam Junction railway station and Kunnara Park (Vyttila)-Pettah corridors, and the metro stations at Ernakulam South, Thykoodam, and Pettah. It had quoted ₹395 crore for the work.
Sources in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said the test piling would begin on the basis of the letter of acceptance by the metro agency.
“Pending work like bank guarantee and agreement with the consortium will be finalised shortly. Work on the two corridors has to be completed in 20 months. A separate bid was floated to rebuild the Champakkara bridge as a four-lane one, and the contractor will be finalised soon,” they added.
A senior CVCC official said the consortium was commencing test piling to coincide with the beginning of the Chingam month. “A hydraulic rig each has been deployed at Thykoodam and Pettah to simultaneously conduct piling. Barricades are getting ready, while men, materials, and machinery too are being organised. The timeline for carrying out each task too is being readied,” he added.
Though DMRC might entrust the consortium with the responsibility of building the viaduct from Pettah to SN Junction at Thripunithura, the Centre has not yet accorded sanction for the 2-km extension.
Slow pace
At the same time, DMRC sources expressed concern over the tardy pace of land acquisition in the Champakkara-Pettah corridor.
DMRC opted to retender the rest of the work after two civil firms, which had bagged the contract in 2013 to construct the viaduct, were partially offloaded owing to the slow progress of work.
Meanwhile, DMRC is slated to complete the entire work on the 5-km-long Palarivattom-Maharaja’s College Ground metro viaduct by September. The signal trial of trains is expected commence later this month. The trials are likely to be conducted at night as the software under use to operate trains in the Aluva-Palarivattom corridor has to be altered for trial runs in the corridor up to MG Road.