A Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) has been initiated at Greenways Road Station in Corridor 3 of the Chennai Metro Rail Project contract TU02 (Kellys to Taramani). Larsen & Toubro is the contractor on the TU02.
TU02 will deploy eight TBMs on the stretch (Kellys to Taramani). The Herrenknecht TBM (S 1027) will tunnel from Greenways Road Station to Adyar Junction Station (1.226km). It has been named Kaveri, after the river Kaveri. The next TBM from Greenways Road is named as Adyar.
The Kaveri TBM is scheduled to arrive at Adyar Junction in August 2023. This TBM will tunnel through DB Road, crossing the Adyar River near Thiru Vi. Ka. Bridge, and eventually arriving at Adyar Junction Station.
Chennai Metro Rail Ltd has commenced the expansion of Chennai city’s metro rail network under Phase 2, after the successful completion of the Phase 1 and Phase 1 Extension Corridors in stages since June 2015 and the growing ridership in Corridors 1 & 2. Phase 2 comprises three corridors of a total length of 118.9 km
A total of 23 TBMs will be used inChennai to build the extensive network of underground tunnels of Phase 2, which includes new TBMs imported for the works and TBMs remanufactured in India. These TBMs will be launched and retrieved multiple times till completion from the shafts at various locations, says the release.