Bengaluru, 30 May

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has achieved a major feat in Indian metro construction by using a new technique for the first time in the country. BMRCL utilised box-pushing technology to construct a 77m tunnel section beneath the Outer Ring Road (ORR) flyover.

As part of Namma Metro's Pink Line project, the tunnel under the Nagawara flyover will link with the upcoming Nagawara interchange metro station. "Traditionally, Namma Metro has relied on circular underground routes," said Shrivas Rajagopalan, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of BMRCL, to Salar News. "However, the presence of numerous utilities and the need to avoid traffic disruptions on the crucial ORR junction prompted BMRCL to adopt the innovative box-pushing method."

This technique involved prefabricating eight concrete boxes and then pushing them into place beneath the Nagawara flyover using hydraulic jacks. The entire process, completed on the south side of the upcoming Nagawara station, took nearly six months. The box-pushing method involves creating a horizontal underground opening by pushing precast concrete box units through embankments or hard rock to create tunnels.

The Pink Line project consists of a 2km tunnel network from Dairy Circle to Nagawara. To raise more revenue, BMRCL will allow advertisements on the exteriors of its trains for the first time. Tenders will be floated soon for the ad space, but the windows will not be covered to avoid affecting aesthetics.

Bengaluru Metro's first driverless train is ready for the next stage of testing. After completing stationary tests, the train will now undergo signaling system integration tests starting June 7. This is a crucial step for launching commercial operations on the Yellow Line (RV Road-Bommasandra) by December as planned. -Salar News