With the construction work on a section of the phase II project slowly progressing, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) has invited firms to lay tracks in some of the congested localities in the city, including CMBT, Valasaravakkam, Adambakkam and Kilakattalai, from Shollinganallur to SIPCOT.
Under the tender for the 118.9-km project, whose cost touches ₹61,843 crore, the contractor will have to lay the track on the stretch from Madhavaram to Shollinganallur, covering areas like CMBT, Valasaravakkam, Alapakkam, Adambakkam, Vanuvampet, Puzhuthivakkam, Perumbakkam all the way till Elcot and from Shollinganallur to SIPCOT via Semmencheri and Navalur.
According to CMRL officials, the contractor will have to procure, install and commission the track on these two stretches; finalising a contractor will take at least another three or four months. “Since the deadline for the whole project is 2026, we have to start opening one section after another in phases. Hence, we are calling for tenders right away so by the time the construction of viaduct and tunnel is complete, the contractor is ready to start laying the rails,” an official said.
For track laying work in one of the phase II stretches, CMRL may finalise a contractor this week, and the work will begin a month after that.
Construction of the viaduct between Poonamallee and Power House has been on for a few weeks, and CMRL had awarded contracts for underground work on the Madhavaram-Taramani stretch, kick-starting some of the initial work. “The work has been slow, but we are pushing the contractor to put in more labourers and continue the work in full swing,” another official said. Sources said if the contractor failed to meet deadlines from the initial phase of the project, it would affect the schedule.
