NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Wednesday completed an underground tunnel between Chhatarpur and Chhatarpur Mandir stations on the Tughlakabad-Aerocity corridor, a statement said.
L-G VK Saxena lauded the DMRC for completing the 865-metre tunnel under phase 4 of the Golden Line in a little over five months. The DMRC said a 97-metre-long tunnel boring (TBM) machine was used for the tunnelling work.
The breakthrough of the TBM at the Chhatarpur Mandir site took place in the presence of L-G Saxena, and transport minister Kailash Gahlot.
Taking to X, Gahlot said he was thrilled to witness the completion of the tunnel as he praised the DMRC for finishing the work in an impressive five and a half months using the TBM. The minister congratulated the DMRC and all the engineers and staff involved for achieving this feat without disrupting any existing structures on the ground.
According to the DMRC, two parallel circular tunnels for up and down movement are being constructed on the stretch as part of the Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor. The work on the other parallel tunnel on this section will be completed by September, it stated.
This new tunnel has been constructed at an average depth of around 15 metres. About 618 rings have been installed in the tunnel, which has an inner diameter of 5.8 metres, it said.
Overcoming challenges
The tunnelling work involved numerous challenges, such as shifting a 66 KV electrical high-tension line. Additionally, the TBM had to cross below the existing Yellow Line viaduct without disrupting metro train operations on the Line, the DMRC said.