Tunnelling in Villivakkam for CMRL’s phase II project to begin next week

Villivakkam is finally set to witness tunnelling operations for Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II project next week.

It will get three stations — Villivakkam Metro, Bus Terminus Metro, and MTH Road Metro — under the 118.9-km phase II project, and form a part of Corridor 5, which runs from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur.

This 47-km stretch is the longest corridor in the phase II project, with stations at many locations, including Retteri, Kolathur, Villivakkam, Anna Nagar West, Thirumangalam, Koyambedu, Virugambakkam, Mugalivakkam, Ramapuram, Adambakkam, Madipakkam, Kovilambakkam, Medavakkam and Shollinganallur.

At present, travelling from Medavakkam or Madipakkam to Villivakkam will take at least an hour by road. The travel time will decrease significantly once the entire corridor is completed.

Corridor 5 has only a miniscule length of underground network (5.8 km) compared to the other two corridors — Madhavaram to SIPCOT and Poonamallee to Light House.

According to officials of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), they plan to launch the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Marutham’ at Villivakkam Metro, from where it will bore towards Villivakkam Bus Terminus next week.

“The TBM ‘Marutham’ was lowered some time ago. It has mined the diaphragm wall, or the station box, for 100 mm and is ready for the launch. The second TBM ‘Neithal’ will begin its drive by the end of November,” an official said.

These machines must drill into the earth for a distance of 603 m to create twin tunnels linking the two locations. Officials said they estimate that both machines will complete their journeys by March and April next year.

“Between Villivakkam Metro and Villivakkam Bus Terminus, the machines must bore through hard clay and shale — a fine-grained sedimentary rock made of clay and silt — but we don’t expect much of a problem,” he added.

In future, residents will find it convenient to switch between the bus terminus, the suburban railway station and these two Metro stations. While Villivakkam Metro is located at a distance of 60 m from the Villivakkam Railway Suburban Station — which will later be connected by a covered dedicated pathway — Villivakkam Bus Terminus Metro is situated within walking distance from the bus station.