Larsen & Toubro, ITD Cementation India, and Afcons Infrastructure all submitted bids for the UGI underground contract for the Kolkata Metro Purple Line. The contract covers a 5.05-kilometer stretch between Mominpur and Esplanade. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL) requested bids for this contract in July 2022, with an estimated value of Rs. 25.71 bn and an unspecified deadline.
Line-3's final 15.215 km section (Joka - Esplanade) will have two twin tunnels and four underground stations - Kidderpore, Victoria, Park Street, and Esplanade. This project's contractor will need to use two new tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and have one TBM on standby.
The Joka-Esplanade metro corridor in West Bengal, India, necessitates the design and construction of a 5.05-kilometer-long ramp and underground railway works (from chainage 9063.00m to 14113.00m). The scope of work includes four underground stations - Khidderpore, Victoria, Park Street, and Esplanade - tunnel construction using tunnel boring machines and cut & cover methods, architectural finishing works, track works, and other related activities.
All three bids are currently undergoing technical evaluation, which is expected to take several months. After the technical evaluation is completed, the qualified bidders' financial bids will be opened to determine the lowest bidder and most likely contractor for this package.
It is predicted that a contractor will be assigned to this project in the second half of 2023, and that construction on the tunnelling portion will start in the middle of 2025. Nevertheless, because to delays in the tendering procedure, this segment probably won't be operational until 2028. Due to this prolonged schedule, the recently completed 6.49 km Joka-Taratala elevated segment will operate as a stand-alone unconnected line for a considerable amount of time.
See also:
Funds for Kolkata metro projects rise by 164.77 per cent
KMRC aims to complete Sealdah to Howrah Maidan Metro line