BENGALURU: Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) 'Urja' drilling between Cantonment railway station and Shivaji Nagar is likely to achieve a breakthrough within a week after drilling for little over a year. A mega function with the participation of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is likely to be held within a week to mark its final step, said BMRCL sources.
Drilling work is presently being undertaken by 9 TBMs to lay tracks for Metro's Phase-II underground corridor between Nagawara and Kalena Agrahara (Gottigere).
Urja made its first ring on the rocks on August 1, 2020. "It has completed drilling nearly 835 metres out of the 850 metres distance it is supposed to bore through. It is a matter of a few days before it completes the rest," said a top Metro source.
The source added that in a month's time following its completion, the TBM Vindhya operating in the same direction is likely to achieve a breakthrough. The details released by BMRCL though did not have the latest on these machines as the updates were available in its newsletter only upto August 30.
According to it, this is the status of work done by the other seven TBMs upto August end, Bhadra drilling from Venkateshpura Station to retrieval shaft has completed 84 metres, Tunga drilling in the same direction has completed 65.8 metres; Avni drilling from Shivaji Nagar to Rashtriya Military School has completed 636.6 metres while Lavi drilling in the same dirction has completed 349.8 metres.
Rudra drilling from South Ramp to Diary Circle has completed 340.2 metres while Vamika drilling in the same direction has completed 140 metres. Varada drilling from Rashtriya Military School to Langford Metro station has completed 436 metres.