Chennai Metro: Thirumayilai Station Groundwork To Begin By August-End

The Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) will reportedly begin groundworks for the Thirumayilai metro station at the end of this month.

However, once the construction begins, it is expected to cause traffic congestion at Luz Corner, which is one of the busiest places in the city. The Thirumayilai station will be built at a depth of 115 feet below ground level. When completed, it will be the deepest metro station in Chennai. Considering the depth, the CMRL will face enough challenges while digging the tunnels which will connect the Thirumayilai station. This station is anticipated to begin operation in 2028.

According to CMRL spokesperson Girirajan, the metro governing body will begin barricading the areas at Luz Corner by August-end when the pre-construction work will start. The other important procedures including the diversion of underground pipelines and cables of utilities will begin later in September.

The CMRL expects to finish all of these in two months before shifting focus on building the diaphragm wall or the peripheral walls of the Thirumayilai station. Groundwork of the tunnels can only be started after the shaft and walls see their final outcome. “Tunnelling will commence only after walls and shafts are constructed, likely by October 2024, Giriranjan said, as quoted by Times of India.

Thirumayilai Metro Station: Route

The Thirumayilai junction is part of Chennai’s Phase II metro project, which is comprised of three corridors- Madhavaram to SIPCOT (corridor-3), Lighthouse to Poonamallee (corridor-4) and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (corridor-5). Commuters will be able to access corridors 3 and 4 from the Thirumayilai station, which will be situated below the intersection of Luz and Canal Bank Road in Mylapore. It will be stretched over an area of 4,854.4 sqm.

A CMRL release said earlier that the Thirumayilai station will be larger than any other station of Chennai metro’s Phase II project. It will get as many as five entry and exit gates, while the others will have only two. “It will also be a major multimodal hub connecting Thirumayilai MRTS station, Luz bus stop and Kapaleeshwarar temple,” the declaration further read.

The Phase II of the Chennai Metro Project will cover a distance of 118.1 km. A fund of almost Rs 61,843 crore will be required to complete the entire work. The elevated stretch of this phase is slated to commence operation between 2025 to 2027.