The viaduct of the Kochi metro’s 11.20-km phase-2 Kakkanad extension could be readied in 18 months if everything went according to plan, Loknath Behera, managing director, Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), said here on Tuesday.
The design and build tender to construct the viaduct and stations in the Pink Line corridor was opened on December 20. Its technical evaluation is in its final stage and will be followed by the opening of the financial bid, following which it will be sent to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for its approval. The queries that the bank had sought on the social impact assessment (SIA) report will be clarified within January 15. The contracting firm that will be selected to execute the work will be incentivised, if it completes the work ahead of the 18-month time span.
Work has been awarded to build entry/exit of Infopark, Chittethukara, Kinfra park, Collectorate Junction, and CSEZ stations. Tenders have been floated for the other five stations in the corridor. Efforts are on to commission the extension in another two years, he told the media at KMRL’s annual press meet.
