Chennai Metro Phase 2 Reaches Moolakadai Milestone
Underground construction for Chennai Metro Phase 2 has moved another step forward in north Chennai, with a tunnel boring machine completing an 819-metre drive between Madhavaram High Road and Moolakadai. The breakthrough adds to the growing underground network and highlights the engineering and neighbourhood-management challenges involved in expanding mass transit beneath one of the city’s busiest urban corridors.
The latest drive forms part of the roughly 9-km underground section between Madhavaram Milk Colony and Kellys on Corridor 3. It is the 11th breakthrough recorded along this section and the 24th across the Phase 2 tunnelling programme, according to project information and recent reports. The construction has required the tunnel machine to work beneath the Buckingham Canal and heavily trafficked areas. Borewells along the alignment also created an additional civic challenge. Maintaining access to water during construction is particularly important in dense neighbourhoods, where households can have limited alternatives when local sources are disrupted.
For residents, the significance extends beyond the engineering milestone. Underground metro construction can reduce the need for permanent surface-level transport infrastructure, helping preserve road space for pedestrians, buses, cycling and other essential urban functions. However, those benefits depend on how construction impacts are managed during the years before services begin. Ground movement is another critical concern. Tunnelling below built-up areas requires continuous monitoring because settlement can affect roads, utilities and nearby structures. The experience at Moolakadai underlines why construction safeguards should remain as important as construction speed as Chennai expands its rapid-transit system. Chennai Metro Phase 2 covers 118.9 km across three corridors and includes 128 stations. The approved project cost stands at ₹63,246 crore, with Corridor 3 running from Madhavaram to SIPCOT, Corridor 4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass and Corridor 5 from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur. CMRL’s published project status places the overall completion target at the end of 2028.
The programme is also beginning to shift towards operations. A 14.64-km priority section between Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani, comprising 11 stations, underwent safety inspection in February 2026. For Chennai, the larger test will be whether new metro capacity translates into fewer private-vehicle trips, easier access to jobs and services, and better connections between neighbourhoods. The next phase of construction will therefore need to balance rapid delivery with safe streets, reliable utilities and minimal disruption to everyday urban life.
