METRO STATUS QUO: ON TRACK

METRO STATUS QUO: ON TRACK
Work Is Progressing Along The Expected Timeline, Says BMRC Chief Sivasailam
Aarthi R | TNN

Reach-1 Over 70% civic work complete Reach-2 Nearing 20% Reach-3 Over 20% Reach-4 Just over 20%
Bangalore: ‘Men at work’, ‘Work in progress, take diversion’ scream boards all along the Metro line. Work is on at a hectic pace at almost every major point of the first 42.3-km track, barring the two new extensions — Yeshwantpur to Hesarghatta Cross and R V Road to Puttenahalli.Phase I of the Metro is moving towards its December deadline: in some parts, piers are up and even track-laying work has begun. Parts of the Metro station work, too, is under way.
DOWN THE METRO LINE Reach-1: Byappanahalli to Cricket Stadium Deadline: December 2010 Leading Phase 1, work started on this reach in April 2007. Over 70% of civil work is complete. All the piers are up and connected, with just 60 left to be connected on the stretch between Ulsoor and CMH Road. This is expected to be complete in the next three months. Meanwhile, track-laying work has begun on the MG Road stretch. With the court’s go-ahead on the Plaza theatre complex for the MG Road station, work on all six stations along this reach — S V Road, Ulsoor, CMH Road, Byappanahalli, Trinity and M G Road are progressing swiftly. (IN PIC: Depot Area) Very recently, it was a dug-up vacant site, but is now shaping into a swanky depot surrounded by workshops. The area has been fortified by high compound walls and fencing work is on. This is the ramp from where the first Metro train will take off in December 2010. There are just a few inches left for the ramp to touch the ground.
Reach-2: Magadi Road to Mysore Road Terminal Deadline: August 2012 Road-widening along the stretch is almost complete and elevated piers have begun dotting the Vijayanagar stretch. This is perhaps the only reach where you can see the Metro track going right over an underpass. Station work is also in full swing in Vijayanagar, toll gate and Hosahalli. Work in progress on this reach ends near Kimco Circle on Mysore Road.
Reach-3: Swastik to Yeshwanthpur Deadline: June 2011 Second in line after Reach-1, civil work is picking up pace. Pier work is almost complete at many crucial points, in Mahalakshmi Layout and Yeshwanthpur. (In pic) Station work is progressing on a war footing in Rajajinagar. However, the barricaded stretch ends near Platinum City junction. Apart from boards identifying the station spots up to Hesarghatta, not much work is going on on this extension. With a flyover under construction (in pic), the Tumkur Road stretch from Yeshwanthpur up to Hessarghatta cross is one long traffic jam.
Reach-4: K R Market to R V Road Terminal Deadline: October 2012 Pier work is in progress along R V Road. A few crossroads are blocked for the station work, that took off recently. This includes the stretch between the Teacher’s College junction up to Lal Bagh West Gate. From the corner of Lakshman Rao Park, the Metro line is clear. Very soon, the train will zoom past this stretch. However, not much work can be seen beyond R V Road, up to Puttenahalli.
N Sivasailam, BMRC MD, GIVES HIS VIEW THE DEADLINES
We have begun work on almost all stretches of Namma Metro Phase 1. It should be complete by March 2013. Reach-1 is progressing on schedule. Following this, Reach-3 from Swastik to Yeshwanthpur will be complete between September and December 2011. The stretch from Peenya to Hesarghatta Cross will be complete by March-June 2012. We hope to complete the remaining work from December 2012 to March 2013.
UNDERGROUND
A majority of it awaits clearance for the alternate road in front of High Court and through Cubbon Park. However, this should not extend the deadline for the UG stretches, as preliminary work is already in progress and ramp work has also started at BRV Grounds. By October this year, we should be able to bring in the tunnel boring machines.
MAJESTIC STATION
Tenders are pending approval, and are expected to be cleared on April 27. This will be followed by preliminary work and station work will begin in a month’s time.