KOCHI: The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) will soon float tenders for the proposed phase 1 (b) of the Metro line to SN Junction and Tripunithura Railway terminal. Along with the progress of the ongoing civil work of the Metro up to Petta, the agency is planning to complete tender procedures of Petta-SN Junction stretch soon so as to commission the stretch by December 2021.
“KMRL is committed to providing the best travel solutions for the residents in Tripunithura region. The preparatory works at Petta-SN Junction are progressing. Once we get the sanction for the extension to Tripunithura, we will take it as a top priority and complete the works as soon as possible,” said KMRL managing director APM Mohammed Hanish.
The tender for the Rs 123 crore preparatory work, including road widening, is expected to be awarded in December. The KMRL authorities said the land acquisition process is in the final stage and total land for preparatory work is expected to be acquired by the end of January 2019. The tenders for the major civil works, including viaduct, stations and Panamkutty Bridge for Rs 359 crore, are in the final stage of preparation. “Contractor for the work will be in place by January 2019 which will ensure commencement of the work on the ground by February 2019 and the stretch from Petta to SN Junction is expected to get commissioned by December 2021,” said KMRL authorities.
For SN Junction to Tripunithura Terminal extension, the stretch consists of 1.2-km viaduct and one station- Tripunithura Terminal. Considering the request by the Tripunithura Municipality to consider taking the Metro alignment to Tripunithura through their proposed road and Bus Depot planned beside Tripunithura railway station, the Detailed Project Report was revised by KMRL and submitted to GoK. The total estimated cost is Rs 356 crore and the administrative sanction for the stretch is expected soon.
Cost escalation
Meanwhile, the existing contractors of the stretch up to Thykoodam were earlier given an optional clause in their tender to carry out the work up to SN Junction. The actual amount of the bid allotted to Cheriyan Varkey was Rs 277.23 crore for the construction of viaduct and three stations - Ernakulam South, Thykoodam and Petta - with an optional clause for Rs 394.63 crore, if it will carry out the civil, works up to Petta, including two stations at Alliance Jn and SN Jn. “If it followed the optional clause, KMRL would also have been able to carry out the extension work up to SN Jn at Rs 117.43 crore as the existing contractor has all the necessary machinery, casting yard and manpower. Floating the fresh tender will result in cost escalation and is also time consuming,” said sources close to the project.