MMRC completes 50% tunneling work on Mumbai Metro 3 corridor

Mumbai (Urban Transport News): The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRC) has achieved another significant milestone as it completed 28-km of the 56-km tunneling on the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 corridor. The construction team attains 50% tunneling by overcoming various challenges within a period of 19 months. The total length of 56-km is calculated on the basis of two up and down tunnels for the 33.5-km  alignment deducting the underground station box lengths in between. Explaining the ongoing project work, Ms. Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director, MMRC said;

Tunneling under Mumbai’s heritage buildings, old residential complexes, an existing elevated metro line with different and sometimes difficult geological conditions has been a daunting task. However, using advanced technology and more importantly without compromising with safety of workers, our team along with General Consultants, Contractor JVs and multiple experts has completed 50% of tunneling.

“Of course, this is just one part of the project. The work of underground station construction along with excavation, base slab, concourse slab, columns and wall construction is also progressing on a war footing. We are now looking at completing the project as scheduled with the help of Honorable Chief Minister’s War Room, multiple stakeholders and the backing from Mumbaikars”, said Ms. Ashwini Bhide further.

After launching Krishna-1, the first Tunnel Boring Machine(TBM) at Naya Nagar, Mahim at the hands of Chief Minister in September 2017, MMRC has been working full steam with the help of total 17 TBMs in the underbelly of the city. While the tunneling activity began in November 2017, first breakthrough on the alignment was achieved in September 2018, 12 more breakthroughs have been accomplished in the next only 8 months, until May 2019.

#Metro3 completes 50% tunneling on 56 Km long Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ corridor. #MMRC accomplished 28 Kms of tunneling over a period of 19 months. #Milestone #MakingMumbaiAwesome #ConnectingTheUnconnected #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/FiN1Es3nQX

— MumbaiMetro3 (@MumbaiMetro3) June 10, 2019

The 13 breakthroughs were accomplished at – SEEPZ, 2 at CSIA T2, Sahar Station, MIDC, Domestic Airport T1, 2 at Dadar, Worli, 2 at Vidyanagari and 2 at Vidhan Bhavan. There are 12 launching shafts to facilitate tunneling at Cuffe Parade, Eros Cinema, Azad Maidan, Science Museum, Siddhivinayak, Naya Nagar, BKC, Vidyanagari, Pali Ground, Sariput Nagar, Sahar Road, International Airport T2. “The longest tunnel so far has been the tunnel from Vidyanagari to Domestic Airport (3.9-km) and the shortest one is from Sariput Nagar to SEEPZ (562 meters).

In all, 19,504 segment rings have been used to complete 28-km of tunneling. These segment rings are manufactured at 6 casting yards – 4 at Wadala and one each at Mahul and Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR). It’s a satisfying progress. Further 19 more breakthroughs are awaited through the 33.5-km long Metro-3 alignment”, said Mr.S.K.Gupta, Director (Projects), MMRC.