Tunnel Boring Machines will bore 25-30 m below ground, starting with the Mahim-Dadar stretch
Tunnel Boring Machines will bore 25-30 m below ground, starting with the Mahim-Dadar stretch
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Taking the Colaba-Bandra Seepz Metro Line IIIâÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂu00c2u0088 a step closer to reality, tunnelling work has finally begun on the Mahim to Dadar stretch along the Metro III route.
At Naya Nagar in Mahim, TBMs are being used to construct a 33.5-km-long twin tunnel. Pics/Datta Kumbhar
Representatives from the media were taken to the location at Naya Nagar in Mahim from where the tunnelling work was to begin towards Dadar. Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) engineers who were present at the site gave a
detailed talk about the technical aspects of Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) and how they work.
A year's work ahead
According to MMRC, tunnelling activity for Metro Line III will be primarily conducted using 17 Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM). The machines will bore 25-30 metres below the ground.
The lowering of TBMs has already been done at Mahim with the help of a 135-tonne gantry crane. It is said that the work of the 2.5-km-long tunnel between Naya Nagar and Dadar will be completed in a year's time.
While interacting with the media, MMRC Managing Director Ashwini Bhide said that all safety measures and standards will be followed during tunnelling.
MMRC chief says
"A total of 17 tunnel boring machines will be used for the construction of Metro III, and out of this four have already reached India and five machines are in transit from China. The remaining TBMs are undergoing tests in the factories," Bhide said.
In all, 17 Tunnel Boring Machines will be utilised to construct a 33.5-km-long twin tunnel.
The tunnelling activity is expected to be completed in next two years, and if all goes as per schedule, the project is expected to be completed by December 2021.