Mumbai Metro Line III completes 5 kms tunnelling. See photos

Mumbai Metro Line III

In what can be termed as an important development, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation(MMRC) on Tuesday announced that Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ corridor has completed 5100 meters of tunnelling.

In a press release issued to the media, MMRC which is implementing the first underground metro corridor is using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) at various Launching Shafts for tunnel construction of Mumbai Metro Line III. According to the press release, so far, all 17 TBMs have completed the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and 15 of them have already arrived in the city. While 8 TBMs have been lowered and have started their main drives, the lowering process of 3 TBMs are in progress. Towards the end of July 2018, 2 more TBMs will be lowered and the remaining TBMs will be lowered by end of September 2018.

All 17 TBMs are expected to be working in full swing by October 2018.

• Azad Maidan Launch Shaft: The two TBMs of package 2, Vaitarna 1 and 2, have so far completed 1050 meters of tunnelling. They will construct total 4.5 km of tunnel up to Grant Road.

• Naya Nagar Launch Shaft: The two TBMs of package 4, Krishna 1 and 2, have tunnelled 2164 meters so far. They will construct total 2.5 km tunnel up to Dadar metro station.

• Vidyanagari Launch Shaft: The two TBMs of package 5, Godavari 1 and 2 have completed 1073 meters of boring so far. They will dig total 2.98 km of tunnel up to CSIA Domestic Airport.

• Marol Naka Launch Shaft: The two TBMs of package 7, Wainganga 1 and 3 have tunnelled 806 meters so far. They will construct total 1.2 km of tunnel up to CSIA International Airport.

Ms. Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director, MMRC said, "We are pleased to announce the completion of 5 kms of tunnelling within one year of the project's initiation. With the strong and ceaseless support from all our stakeholders, we are positive to complete the project as December 2021." She further added," Thanking all citizens for their continued cooperation."

For construction of the underground Metro 3 corridor, the TBMs need to altogether bore 52-km for both the up and down line. Currently the TBMs are moving at the speed of 350 meters per week which is expected to increase up to 700-800 meters per week by October 2018. The first TBM breakthrough for the project is expected in September 2018 in package 7.

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