FCC

Next Phase of Kolkata's Orange Line Metro Tunnel Work Set To Begin

2024-12-10

Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) had completed the basic work for the underground tunnels of the Orange Line Metro along VIP Road and was set to commence the next phase of construction. The ongoing project, part of the New Garia-Airport Metro corridor, was soon expected to enter a critical stage, requiring the tunnel to curve eastward toward the airport.

To ensure smooth traffic management during this phase, RVNL had sought a revised traffic block and prepared an alternative road for Kolkata-bound vehicles. The report mentioned that, as part of its strategy to minimise traffic disruptions on VIP Road, RVNL had divided the construction of the final stretch into three phases.

It was noted that this 29-km, mostly elevated Metro line would transition underground in its last leg. Contractors from Afcons were tasked with building a 300-meter ramp and 500 meters of twin tunnels using the cut-and-cover method.

In April, RVNL had begun work on the diaphragm wall and top slab, around 700 meters from the airport, after cordoning off a section of VIP Road and creating a compensatory 100m x 12m road space on the Kolkata-bound flank, using land provided by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). With the first phase now complete, RVNL had applied to the Bidhannagar traffic department for a revised traffic arrangement.

A new compensatory road, 70m x 12m in size, had been constructed on AAI land to redirect traffic while allowing construction to progress. Senior officials from the Bidhannagar traffic police and the state Public Works Department (PWD) had recently inspected the new setup. An official mentioned that traffic trials were being organized to direct vehicles through a mandatory left turn along a 20-meter-wide stretch.

Meanwhile, RVNL was set to extend barricades near Kaikhali to facilitate ramp construction beyond pier 846, where the viaduct ends. The U-turn traffic signal post had also been slightly shifted toward the airport to accommodate this adjustment.

The report emphasised that this meticulous planning aimed to ensure uninterrupted Metro construction while maintaining smooth traffic flow on one of Kolkata's key arterial roads.