Tunnelling to resume on Anna Salai Metro stretch.

After close to a year of no activity, preliminary works have started on Chennai Metro Rail's underground stretch in Anna Salai.

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has awarded the contract to Afcons Infrastructure Limited which has already carried out tunnelling work in the other parts of the city. They have to complete the tunnelling work from Government Estate to AG-DMS in ten months. The contract is for about Rs. 350 crore.

Sources with the Metro Rail project said work has begun on recommissioning the Tunnel Boring Machines.

“The machines have been lying idle for nearly a year. It may take a week or two for the tunnelling to begin,” an official said. The work on stations along the same stretch will not start now as the tender is yet to be awarded.

But, sources say L&T may be awarded the contract. “Talks have been on with L&T for a while now. The contract will soon be awarded,” an official said.

Afcons completed tunnelling work in the other part of the Anna Salai stretch (from AG-DMS to Saidapet) last year. L&T is currently constructing stations along this stretch.

The Rs. 1,947-crore contract for work on tunnelling and construction of stations on the whole stretch from Government Estate to Saidapet had been awarded jointly to Gammon India and the Russian firm Mosmetrostroy in 2011.

In May last year, Mosmetrostroy suddenly left the project owing to financial issues, and subsequently, Gammon India’s contract too was terminated due to tardy progress of work.

THE HINDU