In order to reduce the rising cost of the much awaited Chennai Airport-Kilambakkam Metro Rail route, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and the State Highways Department have decided to revise the proposed design.
The aim of the redesign is to reduce the construction cost by reducing the height of the elevated structure. This revised design, the third version developed by CMRL in collaboration with the highway department, is expected to reduce the project cost by at least Rs 1,000 crore.
The decision to revise the design came after CMRL and the Highway Authority realised that the original plan would be prohibitively expensive due to its considerable height. This realisation led to the preparation of a second plan.
Initially, the project was envisaged to have a three-tier structure with the subway at the top level, an expressway in the middle and the existing Pallavaram flyover below. This multi-tier design was also planned for other important locations like Chrompet roundabout and above the Tambaram flyover.
However, CMRL project director T Archunan stated that the design is now being simplified. “We are currently working on a two-tier structure. This is the third time we are revising the design to reduce the overall height for cost reasons,” he said, according to reports. DT Next.
“With a road width of almost 30 meters, we can build an overpass on both sides without integrating it with the subway line that runs above the overpass,” Archunan explained.
Despite the changes, even the second plan was deemed too costly, prompting officials to start again about a month ago. “Our current plan is for two floors, but with a much lower height, which will save at least Rs 1,000 crore in construction costs,” Archunan added.
Work is underway to finalise this cost-effective design. “We are trying to integrate the metro line with the existing infrastructure in Pallavaram, Chrompet and Tambaram to reduce the height and associated costs. Further discussions with the highway department will help finalise the details,” Archunan noted.
