Get set for a metro ride

Get set for a metro ride
BMRCL officials say the metro will be able to begin operations on Byappanahalli-M G Road section by December. The piers are ready in all 222 locations and around 80 pc of segments cast
BANGALORE MIRROR BUREAU


With just eight more months to go, the big question that haunts Bangaloreans is: Will the Namma Metro project be completed by the year-end? Even as debate over the completion of project is reaching a new crescendo, officials at Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) claim that the stretch between M G Road and Byappanahalli will be ready by 2010 December as scheduled.
This month’s statistics of the ground work, obtained by Bangalore Mirror, say that several parts of the first stretch have already been completed. “The piers are ready in all the 222 locations. Around 80 per cent of segments have been cast and more than 60 per cent of viaduct has been set up from Byappanahalli to Cricket Stadium,” said a senior official, adding that all these works would be completed before December.
Though the work on segments and piers have reached the final stage, it is the stations which are now lagging behind with only 48 per cent of the work being completed. “The work on stations at Ulsoor, CMH Road, Old Madras Road and Byappanahalli is picking up pace. Close to 40 per cent work has been done at M G Road and Trinity Circle stations. At the starting terminal in Byappanahalli, the boundary walls and the diversion road are almost complete. The remaining works like stabling shed and repair workshop are likely to be completed by November,” said a senior engineer with BMRCL.
SNAIL’S PACE
While the officials are hopeful that Namma Metro will start chugging by December 2010, the work on Reach-2 from Magadi Road to Mysore Road Terminal and Reach 3 from Swastik to Yeshwanthpur are moving at a snail’s pace. Though the work on Reach 2 is scheduled to be completed by 2013, the BMRCL has completed only 499 piles out of the 1,106 piles and 23 piers have been set up out of 241. A total of just 122 segments out of the required 2,106 have been cast.
If this has been the status of the piers and segments, only 10 per cent work has been accomplished pertaining to piling at Vijayanagar, Hosahalli and Tollgate stations. Besides, piling work is also in progress on Mysore Road, Deepanjali Nagar and Magadi Road stations.