In a series of contracts being awarded to move ahead with full-fledged construction of Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II project, ITD Cementation will get two contracts for building underground stretches from Kodambakkam to Light House as they had emerged as the lowest bidder. The firm would build tunnels and stations in Boat Club, Nandanam, Panagal Park, Kodambakkam, Kodambakkam Flyover, Light House, Kutchery Road, Alwarpet and Bharathidasan Road.
Of the Phase II project’s three corridors, construction work has been on for many weeks in a section of Corridor 3 from Poonamallee to Light House.
This corridor had been designed in such a way that while half of it would be elevated, the other half will be an underground stretch.
At present, a joint venture between Hindustan Construction Company and KEC International had been carrying out construction of an elevated viaduct from Poonamallee to Porur. L&T had begun this work between Porur and Power House. After Power House, the viaduct dips and runs underground till Light House.
According to sources in Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL), two tenders were floated for construction of stations and tunnels between Light House and Bharathidasan Road and from Boat Club to Kodambakkam.
“This firm is the lowest bidder for both contracts. The firm will be given sometime to set up site office and start work. It will have to build a tunnel for nearly 10 km here and also build nine stations. First, it will build a diaphragm wall next year and then continue with the tunnelling work,” an official said.
In the other two corridors of the phase II project — Madhavaram to SIPCOT and Madhavaram to Shollinganallur — underground work had been going on from Madhavaram to Taramani though work for the entire stretch has not been allotted yet. Sources said it would take a couple of months to complete the tendering process.