CHENNAI: The stretch between Porur and Poonamallee covering 8km may be the first route where driverless trains will commence operations in metro rail’s phase-2 as the installation of girders on the pillars in the centre of the road has begun.
Officials said the concrete pre-cast girders on which ballastless tracks will be laid have been placed for nearly a kilometre distance along the suburban route. Porur-Poonamallee is part of corridor-4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee bypass which is expected to be ready by 2025. In a release on Saturday, CMRL said the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) has arrived in the city and tunnelling may commence at Madhavaram Milk Colony in October. The deadline for phase-2 is 2025-2026. Metro rail officials said as many as 111 pillars have been constructed along the Porur-Poonamallee and another 342 pillars will be built for the elevated corridor on the route. “On this route, work is underway to construct a 2.3km viaduct from Kumananchavadi junction to Karayanchavadi. Pillars are being constructed at Kattupakkam,” a CMRL official said.
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