Tunnelling on longest underground stretch to begin soon

BENGALURU: Tunnelling for the much-delayed and Bengaluru’s longest underground Metro corridor — between Dairy Circle and Nagawara (14km) — is all set to begin in a few weeks. It’s part of the Gottigere-Nagawara section (Red Line).
Larsen & Toubro has received the bids for the underground section from Vellara Junction to Shivajinagar (2.7km) and Shivajinagar to Pottery Town (2.8km). Along with Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), it has been conducting soil tests along the section since March.
The firm will build five stations, including Vellara Junction, MG Road, Shivajinagar, Cantonment and Pottery Town. According to BMRCL officials, the underground Metro alignment reaches below Hosur Road crossing Richmond Road at Vellara Junction. After this, the alignment traverses below Brigade Road and crosses MG Road underneath the Purple Line.
The underground MG Road integrated station is planned on Kamaraj Road, about 50m from the platform edge of the existing elevated MG Road station. After MG Road, the underground alignment crosses Cubbon Road, takes a left turn and traverses below the defence land and by the side of Infantry Road and turns right to reach the Shivajinagar bus stand area, where a station is planned in Chhota Maidan.
Further, the alignment crosses below the built-up areas by the side of Queens Road and then crosses Cantonment Railway Station to reach Bamboo Bazaar playground, where another station will be set up. It traverses below Benson Town area and reaches Featherlite Pottery Town Government High School playground, where another station is planned.
While BMRCL has set 2024 as the deadline for commissioning of the underground section, it’s yet to finalise tenders for package 1 (Dairy Circle-Vellara Junction) and package 4 (Tannery Road-Nagawara). In fact, BMRCL took about five years to complete the 10km tunnelling work during Phase I and missed multiple deadlines.
Giant tunnel-boring machines will drill and cut through the underbelly of city’s commercial area. Underground tunnelling in rocky terrain is likely to be a challenge. BMRCL will commence piling work and subsequently, vertical shafts will be sunk to enable lowering of tunnel boring machines. There are concerns regarding the safety of the old buildings in areas like Shivajinagar.