When Chennai Metro Rail’s phase I extension project from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar opens, commuters living near Tiruvottiyur Theradi may not be able to use it as the station is unlikely to be ready before the inauguration by early next year, sources said.
This project is meant to cover 9 km of north Chennai with stops at nine stations — Washermenpet, Thiyagaraya College, Tondiarpet, New Washermenpet, Tollgate, Kaladipet, Tiruvottiyur Theradi, Tiruvottiyur and Wimco Nagar. While Thiyagaraya College and Tondiarpet are being built as underground stations, the remaining ones are elevated structures.
Usually, underground stations consume more time than the elevated ones; in this case, both Thiyagaraya College and Tondiarpet will be constructed and ready for inauguration while Tiruvottiyur Theradi, an elevated one, is likely to remain unfinished, sources said.
It is likely to be opened only a few weeks after the inauguration if the contractor doesn’t speed up the construction and pump in more manpower now. “The viaduct is not connected to the station yet. It is not clear how they can finish on time,” a source said.
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), there was a delay in land acquisition, which subsequently affected the pace of construction.
“It took a lot of time to get access to the land required for the station. So, naturally, it had an impact and caused a delay in finishing it. Right now, we have been taking measures to complete it at the earliest and get it ready for inauguration,” an official said.
The detailed project report estimates that the station might see nearly 22,000 passengers by 2026.
CMRL is installing a signalling telecommunication system for this project. In addition, the laying of tracks along the 9 km-stretch is nearly over and is likely to be finished in another week or 10 days.