Metro project chugs on despite unforeseen delay

Metro project chugs on despite unforeseen delay
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: If Bangalore Metro were to toe its original deadline, the train will be chugging along ‘reach 1’ from MG Road to Byappanahalli in the next nine months. The entire 42.3-km phase 1 was expected to be ready by December 2011.
Due to initial hitches over land acquisition and legal dispute with the contractor, the project deadline was revised — December 2010 for reach 1 and December 2012 for the entire phase 1.
BMRC has almost completed the tendering process of the entire project and work has speeded up.
Work on Metro began in 2007 with reach 1 of 7 km, connecting MG Road and Byappanahalli. But authorities ran into problems with property owners on CMH Road and land acquisition became difficult.
Further, work on the MG Road stretch was delayed by over 10 months and BMRC had to change the contractor, after fighting a legal dispute. This again led to slow progress.
WORK SPEEDED UP
Work on reach 1 speeded up since one year, with girders being placed on which superstructures have been set. Simultaneously, on the other end — Old Madras Road side — construction of piers is in full swing. For the underground rail that passes through Vidhana Soudha, authorities will complete constructing stations before commencing tunnelling work next year. Earth-boring machines, which are being manufactured in Germany, will be imported.
CITY TO BE DUG UP
By mid-2010, the city will be dug up extensively as work will simultaneously begin at reaches 2, 3 and 4 — from Mysore Road, Yeshwantpur and Bangalore south. Bangaloreans will have to put up with hardships due to traffic snarls and diversions.