Zip past OMR on metro in six years, grab sea view bonus
Chennai
In six years, you could enjoy an uninterrupted aerial view of the city’s coastline from the comfort of an air-conditioned metro train as it snakes through an elevated corridor on Old Mahabalipuram Road.
Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) has started conducting soil tests on OMR, with construction of the line linking the IT hub expected to begin next year. The tests, which CMRL plans to conduct on a 50km stretch, are currently underway along a 10.6km section between Tidel Park and Sholinganallur.
Several portions of OMR, including spots near Tidel Park signal, Taramani and Sholinganallur, have been barricaded to collect soil samples. CMRL plans to build 12 elevated metro stations along this 10.6km stretch. In all, OMR will have 22 elevated metro stations till Siruseri Sipcot.
“Soil test results will be ready in eight to 10 months. This will be crucial for the final design of the corridor,” a metro rail official said.
Once the line becomes operational, it will provide a convenient mode of transport for employees working on OMR, linking major IT parks, including Tidel Park, Tecci Park and Sipcot, besides other top IT companies.
Officials said soil samples are being collected at one location over a period of 24 hours before workers shift their equipment to the next spot 25m-50m away. The samples will then be sent for lab tests to determine the soil type.
The 50km stretch where soil tests will be conducted includes a part of corridor 3 and 5. According to CMRL, the 50km line is expected to be ready in six years.
Officials said they planned an elevated corridor on OMR till Siruseri Sipcot as the road is wider here. This line is also part of the 20% elevated corridor planned in phase-2, as the rest of the stretch will be underground.
Meanwhile, the barricaded portions of OMR have begun to slow down traffic during peak hours. “As it is, driving through OMR during peak hours is hell. I am dreading the day when the actual construction begins on this stretch, though it will be convenient for us to go to work once metro trains start running,” said Jaikiran, a software engineer at an IT company in Navalur.