400m-long rock delays tunnel excavation work of Pune Metro

Maha-Metro will have to extend its May 31 deadline of excavation work by 10-15 days as 25-metre tunnel work is remaining

The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) will have to extend its May 31 deadline of excavation work by 10-15 days as 25-metre tunnel work is remaining.

On going excavation work between Mandai-Budhwar peth station on Wednesday. (HT PHOTO)

According to Maha-Metro officials, work on the stretch between Mandai and Budhwar peth is been slowed down by a 400-metre length of hard rock. The metro tunnel boring machine’s (TBM) drilling site is near Budhwar peth.

“Compared to other stretches, the Mandai to Budhwar peth line is taking more time. Of the six-kilometre tunnel, 25-metre work is remaining,” said Hemant Sonawane, public relations officer, Maha-Metro.

The proposed metro line will have two tunnels of which Range Hill to Swargate was completed on January 14, 2022, and work of the second tunnel started on December 9, 2019.

“It was a challenging task to excavate a tunnel from the hard rock, but we carried out the drilling without disturbing the alignment of the tunnel,” Sonawane said.

“Since the tunnel work is nearing completion, the ‘overhead equipment (OHE)’ and track laying works have commenced,” he said.

Metro work progress

Status of five underground sites

Station; work completed

Shivajinagar -- 75%

Civil court – 75 %

Swargate – 60%

Budhwar peth – 40%

Mandai – 30%