Despite being stuck in bureaucratic hassles initially, the upcoming Central Secretariat to Kashmere Gate corridor will be completed as per the schedule.
The 9.37 km underground corridor is expected to be completed by December 2015, much before the 2016 deadline of the entire Delhi Metro’s Phase III network. Over 50 per cent of construction work on the corridor is complete and the remaining work has
been expedited.
The Central Secretariat to Mandi House stretch corridor will be inaugurated for the public within next six months. Work on other prominent Metro stations on the corridor such as ITO is in progress and will be completed soon.
“Tunnelling work has been completed between ITO and Mandi House Metro stations. The structural work for the upcoming ITO station has also been completed and overall 85 per cent of civil construction work has been completed on ITO Metro station,” said a spokesperson with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
The upcoming Metro station at ITO will not only cater to the numerous offices in the vicinity but will also help decongest the busiest crossings in the city significantly.
Work on other metro stations on the upcoming line is also on progress.
“One Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) is at work between ITO and Delhi Gate and another TBM for the section is expected to be lowered by the end of the month. A TBM has also been lowered between Delhi Gate and Jama Masjid. Construction work is in progress on fast pace at Delhi Gate and 50 per cent construction work has been completed at Delhi Gate,” he added.
The Delhi Gate Metro station will follow ITO on the line, while going towards Kashmere Gate.
A TBM is also at work in Jama Masjid and Red Fort. In all, 35 per cent construction work has been completed for the upcoming Metro station at Jama Masjid. A Metro station here will ease the travel to the historical Jama Masjid and will also provide access to the
nearby markets.
“Civil works have commenced for the Red Fort and Kashmere Gate stations also,” added the spokesperson.
The present Central Secretariat to Badarpur corridor will be extended on both sides, connecting Kashmere Gate in Delhi to Faridabad’s YMCA Chowk. It will not only establish a Metro link between Delhi and Faridabad, but also relieve pressure on crowded stations such as Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Kashmere Gate.
The line running adjacent to important heritage sites such as — Jantar Mantar, Delhi Gate, Khooni Darwaza, Ferozeshah Kotla, Sunehri Masjid and Red Fort — had faced several issues in receiving approval from the monument protection agencies earlier
Khooni Darwaza, Ferozeshah Kotla, Sunehri Masjid and Red Fort faced several issues in receiving nods from the monument protection agencies earlier.