Andhra Pradesh: L&T in the race for Capital Metro

Vijayawada: The Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation (AMRC) has opened tenders on Wednesday. Three major contractors submitted bids for two civil tenders of the AMRC. First technical bids are opened on Wednesday and after technical evaluation, financial bids will be opened within a couple of weeks, AMRC managing director N.P. Ramakrishna Reddy said. L&T, AFCONS and SIMPLEX Infra are the companies who have filed the bids.

In fact, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has invited open e-tenders on November 28, last year for the works worth Rs 1,800 crore for the construction of Pundit Nehru Bus Stand (PNBS)--Nidamanuru corridor and PNBS--Penamaluru corridors in a stretch of 13 kilometers and 12 kilometers respectively. The works include the PEB roof entry/exit structure design and construction, architectural finishing and plumbing works of 13 elevated stations in the first corridor and 11 elevated stations in the second corridor.

Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation (AMRC) had entered into an agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for execution of the metro rail project in the month of August last year. The officials of AMRC and DMRC signed the agreement for a period of four years. The DMRC has invited tenders for the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS)-Penamalur corridor, works worth Rs 847 crore and for PNBS-Nidamanur corridor, works worth Rs 801 crore, Mr Ramakrishna Reddy said. The two corridors are from PNBS to Penamaluru (12 stations) and PNBS to Nidamanur (13 stations), the latter is slightly longer, covering a total distance of 13.27 km. The first corridor measures 12.76 km.

The metro project was considered keeping in view the potential of the city and likely projected increase in population. The DMRC authorities are planning to construct the Eluru Road corridor as it will be connected to depot at Nidamanuru. The Bandar Road corridor will be taken up at a later stage as soon as the depot works are completed. More so, there were no land acquisition issues on Eluru Road compared to Bandar Road, earlier. But, now slowly the residents and business people in Eluru Road started opposing the Metro rail works on Eluru Road, following fear that they may lose their lands or commercial spaces.

Eluru Road corridor is expected to be completed by 2018 while the Bandar Road corridor would be completed by 2019. The depot would also be completed by 2018. An interchange bus station would come up near PNBS. The passengers travelling on Bandar and Eluru Roads can board and alight there to change the train.