Page 89 - CO April 2017 Full Issue

PROJECT FOCUS spotlight Underwater Connection The East – West underwater tunnel under construction in Kolkata will be first of it’s kind in India. Kolkata was the frst city in the country to been appointed by Afcons. PROJECT FACTSHEET: have the underground Metro rail service. KMRCL had carried out soil investigation Now the City of Joy is all set to become the work at the pre-tender stage for feasibility Name of the Project: frst in India to have the underwater metro study. In addition to this, Afcons carried East – West Under Water Metro Tunnel rail tunnel connecting the east and west out soil investigation work near the entire Location: Kolkata banks of the Hooghly. tunnel alignment, deploying floating Connects: Says R. Anantakumar, EVP & BU Head barges and pontoons in the river portion. Howrah and Sealdah railway stations – Urban Transportation, The company also conducted extensive Executioner: Afcons Infrastructure condition surveys of the buildings in AFCONS INFRASTRUCTURE “First thing that comes to proximity to the alignment before carrying PMC: mind is the sheer scale of out tunnelling. From Client KMRCL side: AECOM projects being envisioned. Tough the tunnel will not be constructed From Afcons’ side: SYSTRA The gap between concept in any special manner that is diferent from Financers: and actual execution is the normal method of Metro tunnelling, Japan International Cooperation shrinking rapidly. We have certain criteria in the segmental lining Agency (JICA) and Ministry of Urban incorporated world's latest and best practices have been adapted and as the scope of work Development. in our design and implementation processes involves tunnelling under water, certain TBM Supplier: thereby delivering savings in time, cost and additional operational precautions and Herrenkeneckht Tunnel Boring Machines space. Our engineers have rapidly scaled up checks are being implemented to prevent Total Length: their skills to utilise the best practices with any untoward incident. Twin Tunnels of 2.9 km each minimum gestation” The Herrenkeneckht Tunnel Boring Date of Commencement: Machines (TBMs) used for the project September 2015 Factsheet: are equipped with emergency seals in the Completion Timeline: 2020 AFCONS INFRASTRUCTURE, one of articulation joints in the event of high India’s leading company in the infrastructure pressure water infow. Te Tunnel Boring The East – West underwater tunnel is domain resumed construction of the twin Machine (TBM) is expected to cover a challenging and prestigious project tunnels of 2.9 kms each in September roughly 11 to 12 metres a day. undertaken by Afcons Infrastructure. 2015. Te project which started in April Successful and timely completion will 2009 was stalled (for phase II between Benefts: herald the company to a bigger league. Sealdah and Howrah Maidan) in 2012 The underwater Metro tunnel will ease Te company has recently bagged a Metro due to land acquisition and alignment the heavy trafc substantially that chokes infrastructure construction project in issues. The tunnels are scheduled to be entry and exit from Howrah Station via the Ahmedabad. Te company has been awarded completed in 2020. Te underwater tunnel Howrah Bridge. Tis means that crossing the job of designing and constructing will connect New Mahakaran Station on the Hooghly river will be a breeze with the underground stations and tunnel for the Kolkata side with Howrah Station, Metro service swifly ferrying passengers Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase-I. and, finally the terminus at Howrah between Howrah Maidan and Kolkata Te project has been awarded by Metro- Maidan on the Howrah side. According to side. Link Express project for Gandhinagar and company sources the project is on schedule Ahmedabad (MEGA) Co. Ltd. and expect to complete the underground Financing: Apart from a twin-bored tunnel, Afcons will Howrah Maidan Metro Station by 2019 Te underwater tunnel project cost was build two underground stations - Kankaria and the underground Howrah Station by `937 cr when it was sanctioned in 2008-09. East and Kalupur Metro Station - including 2020. Te Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation The project is partly funded by Japan a portion of NATM and launching and Ltd has appointed AECOM as their project International Cooperation Agency (JICA) receiving chambers of TBM for Ahmedabad management consultants and SYSTRA has and Ministry of Urban Development. Metro Rail Project Phase-I. u APRIL 2017 |construction opportunities 91