The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Going slow, but chugging along

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Wednesday, Jun 24, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Going slow, but chugging along

Anil Kumar Sastry

Namma Metro has achieved 79 milestones as against the target of 96 by June

— Photo K Murali Kumar

In full swing: Metro work in progress on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: Nearly two years after its commencement, civil works on Namma Metro Phase I are gradually picking up even as the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has achieved 79 milestones as against the target of 96 by this month.

The BMRCL had to offload the contractor from executing a portion of civil works on Reach 1 between Cricket Stadium and Byappanahalli as the work was going on at a slow pace. It has brought in a new contractor to execute the work. This resulted in the company’s expectations going awry hampering works on other reaches too.

While land acquisition and shifting of utility lines on this reach are almost complete (95 per cent), construction of viaducts has reached only the halfway mark; one-third work on construction of depot has been completed and work has just begun on construction of six stations.

On Reach 2 between City Railway Station and Mysore Road Terminal and Reach 3 between Swastik to Yeshwanthpur too, the land acquisition is almost complete while work on shifting utility lines is on. The work on viaduct construction has just begun and contracts have been awarded for construction of six stations.

However, work is yet to pick up on Reach 4 between K.R. Road and R.V. Road Terminal. In this reach, almost two-thirds of the land acquisition has been completed, shifting of utility lines is half-way through while viaduct design is 80 per cent complete.

Completion schedule

The stretch between Cricket Stadium and Byappanahalli is expected to be completed by December 2010; Swastik- Yeshwanthpur- Hessarghatta Road by June 2011; underground section by June 2012; City Railway Station-Mysore Road by August 2012 and K.R. Road -R.V. Road Terminal -Puttenahalli is expected to be complete by September 2012.

In all, Namma Metro will have a route network of 42.3 km, including 32.77 km of elevated corridor, 8.8 km underground corridor and 0.65 km of at grade (ground-level) corridor.

There will be 41 stations, including eight underground.

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