In a key development for Chennai’s expanding metro network, a critical stretch of tunnel between Ayanavaram and Perambur has been successfully completed, pushing forward the progress of the city’s ambitious Phase-II project.
This underground link, part of the Madhavaram–SIPCOT corridor, saw its breakthrough with the tunnel boring machine (TBM) named ‘Kalvarayan’ completing an 867 m stretch after over a year and a half of complex tunnelling activity. With this, the total number of tunnels completed under the project has reached eleven.
The Phase-II metro expansion covers a planned 118.9 km network across three corridors – Madhavaram to SIPCOT, Light House to Poonamallee, and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur. Of the total length, 42.6 km is being developed underground with 48 stations, and the Ayanavaram–Perambur section is a vital piece in this broader urban transit puzzle.
The Perambur end of the tunnel posed considerable challenges during execution. Although the majority of the tunnelling work was completed smoothly, the TBM had to halt near completion due to pending construction of the diaphragm wall at the Perambur station site. The delay stemmed from earlier cancellations of station construction contracts, which impacted the timeline of this particular stretch.
Despite these hurdles, the breakthrough at Perambur marks an important step in realising Chennai Metro’s goal of delivering improved urban connectivity across the city, with work continuing across several other segments of the network.