Twin tunnel breakthrough for Metro 3 at Dadar.

Two more tunnel boring machines (TBM) being used for the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro 3 achieved breakthrough on Thursday. With this, four TBMs have completed a section of tunnelling for the 33.5-km Metro corridor.

“This is the third important milestone for tunnelling in Mumbai Metro 3. We intend to and are steadfastly working towards realising Mumbaikars’ dream of faster, comfortable and efficient commute at the earliest,” Ashwini Bhide, managing director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) said.

The machines, Krishna 1 and 2, were lowered at the Naya Nagar launching shaft in Mahim in September and October 2017 respectively, and were the first of the 17 TBMs to begin tunnelling. The two TBMs have been at work continuously for 506 and 479 days respectively and have tunnelled nearly 2.4 km to the Dadar Metro station.

The TBMs come under Package 4, the section of the work for which the civil works contract was awarded to the joint venture of Tata Projects, ITD Cementation & CEC Taiwan.

Rahul Shah, chief operating officer, urban infrastructure, Tata Projects, said, “We are happy to complete the work in the stipulated time and with utmost concern and care for Mumbaikars. This was a very smooth operation with least hindrance to traffic as possible, with the cooperation and support of MMRC officials and traffic authorities.”

THE HINDU