74% tunnelling for Metro-3 completed

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), which is executing the fully-underground Metro-3 line (Colaba-bandraseepz), has completed 74% of the tunnelling work for the corridor. As of December 26, MMRC has completed 40-km tunnelling of the total 54.5-km twin-tunnel line. SK Gupta, director (projects), MMRC tweeted: “a very important milestone indeed achieved by consistent efforts in difficult conditions.”

MMRC has also completed 24 of the 32 tunnel breakthroughs. In a newly-released timeline for next year, the corporation is looking at completing all the tunnelling in the city by September 2020.

A spokesperson from MMRC said, “In 2020, we are looking forward to major landmarks. We are expecting to complete 70% of the civil works in 2020. The first rolling stock is expected by December 2020 and the tracklaying work for the main line will also start next year.”

Each of the Metro trains will be 177.2 metre long, with a capacity of carrying 3,000 passengers.

While the first phase was initially set to be operational from December 2020, MMRC is looking at making the line partly operational (Aarey-bandrakurla Complex) by June 2021.

MMRC will also be inviting bids for the operation and maintenance of the corridor in February and is looking at awarding tenders for two of the three rehab buildings in Girgaum-kalbadevi areas.

The ₹23,136-crore project is partially being funded by Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) through a loan of ₹13,235 crore.

The third tranche of the loan is expected by March 2020.