People going to the popular Marina Beach in Chennai in the month of September might not only witness the cool breeze and sounds of waves but also `Flamingo` at work.
The news is that the tunneling work here might begin from the month of September. For this, a giant machine named `Flamingo` has been assembled near the Lighthouse metro station. It is now said that a bore would be made by this giant machine (in the next month) till Kutchery Road metro station. In the month of November another boring machine named `Eagle` might start its work.
It is well known to us that LightHouse is a part of 26.1km corridor 4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee bypass. It was explained by an official that the first machine might begin the tunneling work from September. The second machine has finished its factory acceptance test and it will be shifted from Ponneri factory to the site at Marina Beach.
According to Mr. L. Girirajan, CMRL spokesperson, it was clear that the LightHouse metro station might not open until Thirumayilai gets ready. Point is that Thirumailai is the third metro station on the corridor and it is also an interchange station and Lighthouse is an originating station.
It was brought out by Mr. MA.Siddique, MD of CMRL that Thirumayilai metro station (where tunnels would be constructed on 3 levels)would be opened for public use in 2028. He added that stations on corridor 3 and 4 leading to Thirumayilai might also open along with the station. Without Thirumayilai, Light house metro station and Kutchery Road metro station along the corridor 4. From 2026 to 2028, the 118.1km phase-2 would open in stages.
It must be taken into account that Lighthouse is the originating metro station for corridor 4 and it would link several core places in Chennai such as Mylapore, Nandanam, T. Nagar etc with many suburban places like Porur, Iyyappanthangal, Kaatupakkam and Poonamallee etc. Information is that the stretch from Lighthouse to Kodambakkam flyover would be underground of about 8km and the rest of the corridor would be elevated.
Important piece of information is that another tunnel boring machine or TBM named S1075B is ready to be deployed in corridor 4 at Panagal Park. The tunneling works here would begin in the month of October. The factory acceptance test was completed by TBM at the Herrenknecht factory at Alinjivakkam village in the district of Tiruvallur.