KOCHI: Ending the uncertainty over the work of the Kochi Metro Rail on two reaches where the contractors were offloaded earlier, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), on Wednesday,invited fresh bids. The re-tendering bid was floated for the civil works between Maharaja’s College to Ernakulam South and from Kunnara Park,Vyttila, to S N Junction, Tripunithura . The estimated cost of work as per the tender is `294 crore, which includes the construction of elevated via ducts and tow stations at Alliance Junction and SN Junction.
The completion period is 20 months. The bids will be opened and work allotted on August 23. And the 20-month deadline indicates that the Metro will reach Tripunithura only in 2018.
The re-tendering of the work between Ernakulam South-Tripunithura reach was made after Ira-Ranken, which was initially entrusted with civil works in the stretch, was offloaded from the work in 2014 after it emerged that the firm might not be able to execute the work on time.
Later, Soma Constructions was entrusted with the work of the 1.6-km-stretch between South overbridge to Vyttila.
Soma was also the contractors for the Palarivattom-Ernakulam South reach. But earlier this year,the DMRC partially terminated the contract with Soma Constructions and offloaded them from the Maharaja’s-Ernakulam South stretch . Soma,at present is undertaking work only on the Palarivattom-Ernakulam South reach.
Chambakkara Bridge
The widening of Vyttila-Pettah road, which is inching forward owing to the delay involved in the reconstruction of the Chambakkara Bridge, too will gather momentum as the tenders for the revamping was floated by DMRC. As per the tender, a two-lane overbridge will be constructed beside the existing bridge which will facilitate four-lane traffic. The total estimated cost of the work is Rs 55.96 crore .