CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): Chennai Metro Rail Ltd.’s (CMRL) phase II underground work has begun at Ayanavaram after completing the Madhavaram and Greenways Road sections.
In the second phase of the project, an underground station will be constructed at Ayanavaram for the Madhavaram-SIPCOT corridor 3. This ambitious phase II project, costing ₹61,843 crore and spanning 116 km, includes two more corridors – Light House-Poonamallee (corridor 4) and Madhavaram-Sholinganallur (corridor 5).
An official stated that three TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machine) named Kalvarayan, Melagiri, and Kolli were deployed recently at the Ayanavaram site. Among them, two TBMs have already started their tunnelling operations. At Ayanavaram, two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will be used to construct an underground network towards Perambur and Otteri, respectively. Currently, one TBM has already tunnelled about 100 meters towards Perambur, while the other has drilled nearly 50 meters towards Otteri. Additionally, officials mentioned that one more TBM will begin its work next week, and another TBM will be lowered to the site shortly.
The sandy soil in Ayanavaram offers favorable conditions for tunnelling, and CMRL is optimistic that the work will progress smoothly. In other areas like Madhavaram and Greenways Road, tunnelling has been progressing well, with the machines drilling an average of 8-10 meters a day. The authorities hope to maintain this efficiency in the Ayanavaram section as well.
 named Kalvarayan, Melagiri, and Kolli are deployed, with significant progress towards Perambur and Otteri.){kind=link}