Chennai Metro Mandaveli Tunnelling Nears Breakthrough After Months Of Delays
Chennai Metro’s Phase II project is edging closer to a major breakthrough as tunnelling works at Mandaveli near completion, marking a significant milestone for the city’s expanding urban mobility network. After enduring multiple engineering challenges and delays, the tunnelling machine ‘Noyyal’ is now expected to break through in the coming weeks, connecting Greenways Road with Mandaveli.
The Mandaveli stretch forms part of Corridor 3, a 45.8 kilometre route linking Madhavaram to SIPCOT. This corridor is pivotal for connecting southern and northern business districts while easing congestion in residential pockets. Alongside, another tunnelling machine, ‘Vaigai’, is progressing on the parallel line, reinforcing the dual-track design for smoother operations once commissioned.
Officials from the metro authority confirmed that the delays stemmed from the need to shift major underground utilities before tunnelling could advance. Two water pipelines, measuring up to one metre in diameter, and two sewer pipelines, some over 1.2 metres wide, had to be diverted. This required temporary pumping wells and a series of diversions before restoring utilities to their original alignment, a task officials described as “far more complex than anticipated.”
The station’s junction location further compounded the difficulty, demanding careful engineering to ensure stability while minimising disruption to nearby neighbourhoods. Contractors responsible for station construction also faced slowdowns, prompting the metro authority to impose pressure to accelerate delivery. With recent progress, the breakthrough is now slated within the next two to three weeks.
This development is a critical step towards enabling train services between Greenways Road and Thirumayilai by 2028, forming a seamless stretch through dense city zones. Transport experts emphasise that the extension will not only ease bottlenecks but also push commuters towards sustainable modes of transport, reducing reliance on private vehicles and cutting emissions in the long term.The project’s trajectory underscores the recurring trade-off between infrastructure expansion and logistical challenges inherent in a dense city like Chennai. While tunnelling delays are common in metro projects worldwide, the timely resolution of utility relocations is central to keeping such megaprojects on track. Officials noted that the project budget remains intact, with costs carefully managed despite the delays.As Chennai pushes ahead with its metro ambitions, Mandaveli’s tunnelling success will be watched closely. It signals both the technical resilience of the city’s transport planning and its growing urgency to provide eco-friendly alternatives in a city facing mounting traffic congestion and pollution.
