Chennai Metro Update: Tunnelling Work To Commence Between Kolathur And Villivakkam In Phase II Expansion

In a significant move towards expanding Chennai’s metro network, tunnelling work between Kolathur and Villivakkam as part of the Phase II project is set to commence within the next two weeks reported The Hindu.

The Rs 63,246 crore expansion, which comprises three corridors—Madhavaram to SIPCOT (corridor 3), Light House to Poonamallee (corridor 4), and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (corridor 5)—has seen considerable progress, with extensive tunnelling already underway in corridors 3 and 4.

However, the underground section in corridor 5 has faced a delay of over a year.

According to officials from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the tunnelling operation will begin this month at Kolathur, with the tunnel boring machine (TBM) named ‘Kurinji’ already lowered at the designated site.

The fifth corridor starts as an elevated stretch from Madhavaram to Retteri before transitioning underground at Kolathur Junction, continuing as a subterranean network up to Villivakkam MTH Road.

Beyond Villivakkam, it returns to an elevated structure all the way to Sholinganallur via Madipakkam.

Once the corridor is fully operational in the coming years, residents of Kolathur and Villivakkam will benefit from seamless connectivity to the city’s southern areas, including Mylapore, Adyar, and the IT corridor along Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR).

Notably, Villivakkam is set to gain enhanced accessibility with three metro stations serving the locality.

Preparatory work is already in progress to facilitate the launch of tunnelling operations.

“The preparatory work is underway for the launch. The total distance between Kolathur and Nathamuni is nearly 5 km but, as is always done, the tunnelling will be carried out in short stretches. First, the TBM will be lowered at a shaft created in Kolathur and bore towards the Kolathur Metro Rail station, a distance of 500 metres. Subsequently, it will be relaunched from the Kolathur station in about four months and it will drill towards Srinivasa Nagar,” an official stated.

Officials further noted that the tunnelling process between Kolathur and Srinivasa Nagar is expected to progress smoothly, as the soil composition is largely clayey, with only a few rocky sections near Srinivasa Nagar.