First TBM of Namma Metro Phase 2 makes breakthrough

Urja, the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) of Namma Metro's Reach 6 line made a breakthrough at Shivajinagar, after completing a section of 855 metres from Cantonment to Shivajinagar stations.

The stretch is part of the 13.9 km underground section (Dairy Circle-Nagawara) of the Reach 6 line, which has been split into four packages by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

L&T, which has bagged the contract for Package 3 (Shivajinagar to Pottery Town Shadi Mahal) will begin dismantling Urja in the next two days. The parts will be taken to the Cantonment station and assembled there to begin digging northward, towards Pottery Town.

Urja's sister TBM Vindhya is expected to make a breakthrough within the next 20 days, completing both tunnels of the 855 section. Which will also be taken to Cantonment.

Yet another TBM, named Avni, is expected to make a breakthrough at Rashitriya Military School (MG Road) after completing tunnelling a stretch of 800 metres from Shivajinagar.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who attended an event here, described it as a milestone. "When we were working on first phase, metro was new. We faced lot of problems. We have learnt from the incidents like the TBM that broke down in Majestic. Completing Phase 2 will provide an additional 56 km metro line. We are already taking up work on Phase 3. With that, Namma Metro will be Bengaluru's lifeline," he said.

He stressed the need to connect the airport with the metro. "The Union government has taken interest in the project and has extended financial support. I have directed BMRCL to advance the deadline for Phase 2 from 2025 to 2024. We need to reduce the load on road networks," he said, adding that people's cooperation was essential to complete work.

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