Finally tunnel boring machine in Chickpet

Bengaluru: As rocks slowly broke, loud cheers and whistles welcomed the breakthrough of ‘Krishna’, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) on the North South line of Namma Metro. On Monday, after being stuck at K.R Market for months, the TBM entered the Chickpet station. BMRCL MD Pradeep Singh Kharola told the media that though the TBM was working for the last 20 months, the agency lost a lot of time as the TBM was stuck for about six months.

“It's a very difficult terrain. The TBM had encountered a lot of rocks and soil on the stretch and we lost time. The machines underwent a lot of repairs and replacements and we had to give importance to the old buildings in the vicinity of the station,” he said. Four TBMs are burrowing 60 feet under the ground on the North South line of Namma Metro. Now, four tunnels will have to reach Majestic, he said.

“The TBM has to cover another 900 metres before it reaches Majestic. The machine needs to be repaired and it will take another 45 days. Other machines, Margarita, Helen and Cauvery, are also at work and Godavari will reach Majestic in another four months. By the end of February, works will be completed in all the four tunnels. First tunnel on South line will open by December,” he said. The BMRCL does not want to hurry with burrowing as Krishna and Cauvery are working in critical areas where the built-up area is more and the agency has to go slow, he said.

Trial on East West

Mr Kharola said a trial run from Byappanahalli to Mysore Road will begin from September and will go on for two months. “By December, the line will be open” he said. The Jayanagar-Puttenahalli line will be open in another six months.

BMRCL to construct subways on NH 4  

Mr Kharola said that BMRCL will construct subways in front of all the three Metro stations on National Highway 4. Following the increasing number of accidents near Peenya, Nagasandra and surrounding areas, the BMRCL is constructing three subways between Yeshwantur and Peenya depots.