Construction of the 56-feet deep tunnel beneath the Adyar River is swiftly advancing as part of Chennai’s Madhavaram-Siruseri metro rail project. This ambitious Phase 2 project encompasses 116.1 kilometers across three lines, with the third line stretching from Madhavaram to Sipcot covering 45.4 kilometers. The route incorporates 28 subway metro stations and 19 elevated line metro stations, promising enhanced connectivity and convenience for commuters.

The segment from the Greenway Road area to Adyar junction spans 1.23 kilometers, with tunneling operations commencing on February 16, 2023. Two tunneling machines, named ‘Kaveri’ and ‘Adyar,’ initiated excavation sequentially, delving below DP road and approaching the Adyar river near the Thiru-vi-ka bridge. ‘Kaveri’ has successfully traversed the Adyar river and is steadily progressing towards Adyar junction.

Concurrently, ‘Adyar,’ the second tunneling machine, is presently excavating beneath the river and has achieved over 65 percent of the distance. Progress is capped at a maximum of 7 meters per day. Chennai Metro Rail Corporation officials confirm that ‘Adyar’ is operating at a depth of 17 meters under the river, with an anticipated arrival at Adyar junction slated for the coming month.

The tunneling machine ‘Adyar’ is tasked with excavating a total of 1,232 meters of tunnel, with over 750 meters already completed. Authorities are optimistic about the machine’s timely completion of the Adyar river crossing by the end of the month.